YSL book beef boils

THE backlash against a new book about Yves Saint Laurent (inset) and his muse Loulou de la Falaise continues. Posh decorator Robert

Couturier was set to talk about “Loulou & Yves” Thursday night at the Holly Hunt furniture showroom on East 58th Street, but pulled out on Tuesday.

The other panelists — the book’s author, Christopher Petka

nas, and New York magazine design editor Wendy

Goodman — will carry on without him.

Couturier admitted that he’s upset about how the book slams his friend, Vanity Fair special correspondent Amy Fine Collins, as “a persistent, polarizing presence on the party scene, frozen out of Vogue for decades.” But the flamboyant Frenchman told me he dropped out because “I’m having a surgical procedure on Friday. I must prepare.” Couturier said he hadn’t read the book and its “absolutely horrible” comments about his friend when he agreed to promote it. “Amy doesn’t deserve that.” He also said Petkanas fabricated Couturier’s comments about Saint Laurent’s other muse, Betty Catroux: “She is truly decadent. Repugnant.” “I would have never said that. I don’t speak like that,” Couturier said. “She’s an incredible, elegant lady.”

Petkanas said he stands by the quotes.

He was set to speak next month at Boscobel House and Gardens in Garrison, NY, but as I reported two weeks ago, the event was mysteriously canceled.