The French fashion tycoon, Pierre Berge, the brains behind the Yves Saint Laurent empire has died aged 86, his foundation said on Friday.

Berge, the longtime partner of the late designer Yves Saint Laurent, died in his sleep early Friday at his country home at Saint-Remy-de- Provence in southern France, the foundation said.

A passionate bibliophile and art collector, he was also a tireless campaigner for gay rights and donated a large part of his fortune to AIDS research.

AFP