Bergé supported the idea of gestational surrogacy and controversially said "rent her womb for a child or lease her arms to work in a factory, what's the difference?", provoking an outcry by same-sex marriage supporters who go against such positions. On 26 September 2013, Bergé declared he was in favor of the removal of all Christian holidays in France. In March 2016, Bergé expressed his position on "modest fashion" in an interview with French Radio Station Europe 1, saying, "I am scandalized. Creators should have nothing to do with Islamic fashion. Designers are there to make women more beautiful, to give them their freedom, not to collaborate with this dictatorship which imposes this abominable thing by which we hide women and make them live a hidden life... In one way they are complicit, and all this to make money. Principles should come before money." Personal life Bergé had an on and off relationship with model Victoire Doutreleau for three years in the 1960s. Bergé's longtime partner was Yves Saint Laurent who died on 1 June 2008, aged 71. His another longtime partner was Bernard Buffet whose relationship lasted for ten years. On 31 March 2017, Bergé married Madison Cox, a landscape architect and gardener, in Paris. Death Bergé died of myopathy on 8 September 2017, in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, at the age of 86. See also Majorelle Garden References External links 1930 births 2017 deaths French businesspeople in fashion French chairpersons of corporations French company founders Yves Saint Laurent (brand) Art collectors from Paris Philanthropists from Paris Directors of the Paris Opera French LGBT businesspeople French LGBT rights activists Museum founders Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau People from Charente-Maritime 20th-century French businesspeople 21st-century French businesspeople UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors Gay businessmen