Betty Catroux (born Betty Saint in 1945) is a Brazilian-born French former Chanel model, and fashion icon. She has been cited as a muse by both Yves Saint Laurent and Tom Ford. Early life She was born in Brazil in 1945, the only child of Carmen Saint, a Brazil-born French socialite, and Elim O'Shaughnessy (1907–1966), an American diplomat. The first four years of her life were spent in Brazil before her mother ended a short marriage with a Brazilian man and took her to Paris. She had an easy childhood due to her privileged upbringing. She did not know who her father was until the age of 12, when she discovered that her mother's "friend" was very similar to her in features. She asked her mother about the peculiar situation, to which Carmen confirmed her thoughts. Betty had a rough start in her late teens to early adult years, when she relied on drugs and alcohol to have a good time. She and Yves Saint Laurent, a long-time friend and partner in most activities, were notorious for drugs and partying . Modeling career Betty Catroux began her modeling career in the early sixties at the age of 17. Her first employer was Coco Chanel who has been a big fashion name in Paris for decades. It only lasted for two years before she left, claiming, "I hated it, so I decided to take some pictures just to earn money to pay for my own Chez Regine glasses ." She then met Yves Saint Laurent in 1967 who became her sidekick. She inspired him and his fashion work until his death in 2008, but she had never actually worked for him. She just wanted to have fun. The two were inseparable, spending the majority of their free time together. They had a friendly relationship until his death. Reminiscing on their friendship, Catroux said: "I had a fairytale life with him." Catroux was a big name in the fashion world, despite her dislike for the industry. Yves 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