Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008), who began his career as Christian Dior’s protégé, was one of the most talented and influential couturiers of his time. But Saint Laurent’s extraordinary taste went well beyond the world of fashion, and in this lavish volume, the eight splendid homes he shared with friend and lifelong business partner Pierre Bergé are presented in brilliant detail. Notoriously shy, the designer and Bergé lived in luxury, and Ivan Terestchenko’s photographs capture their exquisite surroundings in full, showcasing 19th-century French décor, important paintings by Picasso, Matisse, and other modern and Romantic artists, and masterpieces of furniture, sculpture, and silver ranging from the Renaissance to the Art Deco era. From the serene interiors of their apartment on the Rue Babylone, Paris, to the incandescent beauty of the Villa Majorelle in Marrakech, Bergé and Saint Laurent’s sensibilities come alive. Though the homes presented here have been sold, and their contents auctioned to benefit HIV/AIDS research, The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé is a testament to a rare union of passion, elegance, and supreme connoisseurship.

FEATURED ON THE TODAY SHOW: Holiday Guide: Find the Perfect Book for Each Person on Your List (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33508940/ns/today-holiday_guide/#34431010)