Betty Catroux

Betty Catroux (born Betty Saint in 1945) is a former Chanel model, and fashion icon. She has been cited as a muse by both Yves Saint Laurent and Tom Ford.

Modeling career

Saint Laurent has called her his twin sister and referred to her as his female incarnation.Tom Ford was so inspired by her that he dedicated his debut YSL Rive Gauche collection to her. When asked about her fashion sense, Catroux said that she has “dressed the same way practically since I was born. I don’t dress as a woman. I’m not interested in fashion at all."

Catroux is famed for her long white-blond hair, lanky body, gaunt features, and androgynous appearance. Catroux and Saint Laurent met, according to her, in Regine's, a "very, very gay" nightclub in Paris, in the 1960s. They had a friendly relationship until his death. Reminiscing on their friendship, Catroux said: "I had a fairytale life with him."

Personal life

She was born in 1945, the only child of Carmen Saint, a Brazil-born French socialite, and Elim O'Shaughnessy (1907–1966), an American diplomat.