While Lagerfeld claims not to dwell on yesterday, his one-time friend Yves Saint Laurent seems trapped in the past.

Another premiere, Celebration, shows a chain smoking and virtually monosyllabic Saint Laurent, apparently terrorised by anxiety and the fear of public scorn for his collections.

Saint Laurent never acknowledges the camera and is often shown in black-and-white footage, making him appear isolated from the colour of his creations in the rest of the film.

Director Olivier Meyrou focuses on the complex relationship between Saint Laurent and his business partner, Pierre Berge, a former lover who helped make the YSL couture house one of the most respected in the world during their 40-year collaboration.

Their atelier at 5 Ave Marceau in Paris closed in 2002 when Saint Laurent announced his retirement, an event which Meyrou says marked the end of an era for French couture.

"Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent were friends in the 1960s and in many ways they are very similar," Meyrou told reporters after a screening of his film.

"They are both seeking immortality but in two very different ways. Lagerfeld is much more rooted in life but Yves Saint Laurent is more someone who withdraws inside himself."