Heralding a new era in fashion, designing for youthful, strong, independent women, and changing the course of fashion with the introduction of the very first ready-to-wear collection, Yves Saint Laurent was a designer ahead of his time. Striking out on his own having assisted French couture legend Christian Dior, the young Frenchman announced his own new silhouette, which materialised in feminine versions of masculine styles such as pinstriped pantsuits, the Saharienne khaki safari jacket and the famous Le Smoking tuxedo. Assouline's 'Yves Saint Laurent: The Impossible Collection' is an impressive 208-page hardback tome authored by Laurence Benaïm, and explores a curation of 100 iconic signature pieces from Yves Saint Laurent’s forty-year career — spanning his debut 1962 collection, to his final couture presentation in 2002.