The facade of the new museum fits harmoniously into the landscape of Marrakech

Yves Saint Laurent first came to Marrakech in 1966. It was a good time for the couturier: he had just released the first perfume Y, presented a very successful collection based on the work of the artist Piet Mondrian, and invented the women's tuxedo. In Morocco, Saint Laurent sought solitude and found inspiration. “This city taught me color. In Marrakech, I realized that the range of colors that I had already intuitively used came out of Arab clothing and interior design - djellabas, kaftans and zullayge tiles. This culture became mine, but it was not enough for me to simply absorb it. I transformed it and adapted it for Europe.”

Yves Saint Laurent at Jamaa el Fna Square in Marrakech

In his memoirs, Saint Laurent's partner Pierre Berger, who died on September 8 this year, less than a month before the opening of the museum, recalls that in the 1960s–1980s they came to Marrakesh with enviable regularity: twice a year for two weeks - 1 December and June 1. It was here that Saint Laurent sat down to work on his couture collections. The designer did not just look to Marrakesh for inspiration: he specifically used the Berber craft traditions for his collections. For example, for the 1976 show, he asked local craftsmen to weave fabrics in the same way as they do for the djellaba, a traditional Berber garment made from loose wool.

Embroidered red coat Yves Saint Laurent, Haute Couture collection, spring-summer – 1989

Later, in the 1980s, Saint Laurent and Berger bought a villa in Marrakech, and then bought the “blue” garden of the artist Jacques Majorelle, saving it from destruction. Today, in the Majorelle Garden there is a museum of Berber culture, and next to the museum, on the street named after the couturier, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum will open on October 19 - a tribute to the designer’s special relationship with this city.

Museum of Berber culture in the Majorelle Garden

According to museum director Bjorn Dahlstrom, work on the project took two years. For the new museum, the Pierre Berger Foundation, which is responsible for the designer’s legacy, did not spare the archives: the permanent exhibition included 5,000 of the designer’s personal belongings, 15,000 accessories from couture collections and tens of thousands of sketches. Björn Dahlstrom calls the museum a “full-fledged cultural center,” dedicated, by the way, not only to Saint Laurent himself, but also to the Berber culture, which he loved very much. There is a library with 5,000 books (some, the museum director emphasizes, date back to the 17th century), a lecture hall, theater Hall, bookstore, photo gallery. The temporary exhibition hall is scheduled for a year in advance: first, there will be a retrospective of Jacques Majorelle, followed by exhibitions of young local artists, which the museum will hold in partnership with the Moroccan Biennale.

Pierre Berger and Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech, mid-1970s

Externally, the museum looks laconic: it is several terracotta-colored cubes covered with a subtle pattern. The authors of the project are Carl Fournier and Olivier Marty, architects of the Parisian Studio KO. Morocco has a special meaning for them: they went here on their first vacation after opening their studio; here we met Patrick Guerrand-Herme, an entrepreneur and billionaire who is engaged in the reconstruction of historical buildings in Morocco. It was Studio KO that Guerrand-Hermé entrusted with the reconstruction of these buildings, as well as the work on several hotels and restaurants in Morocco, and Pierre Berger with the work on the museum. “The Saint Laurent Museum combines our two passions – fashion and Morocco,” say the architects.

Marrakesh is not the only city that will open a museum for the designer this fall. On October 3, the Saint Laurent Museum opens in Paris - at number 5 on Avenue Marceau, where the designer worked for 30 years and where the building of the Pierre Berger-Yves Saint Laurent Foundation is now located. The Paris museum will focus on the designer's couture heritage.

The Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech is scheduled to open this October, which should make Morocco an even more attractive destination for fashion lovers and high art. Buro 24/7 Middle East reporters were among the first to be invited to take a look new museum and talk to its director Bjorn Dahlstrom.

— Tell us about your museum - what is this unique space like?

— This is not just a museum, but a real one Cultural Center. The main hall, of course, will house a permanent exhibition of works by Yves Saint Laurent. The museum also has space for temporary exhibitions, concerts, performances, lectures and live broadcasts from opera halls and theaters. We also have a scientific library of more than 5,000 volumes, which will allow everyone to get acquainted with Islamic and Arab-Andalusian cultures, the Berber people, botany and fashion. In addition, the building housed a bookstore, a café, administrative offices and a restoration department - all on an area of ​​4,000 square meters. m.

— What inspired this project?

— It was conceived after the exhibition “Yves Saint Laurent and Morocco” in 2010 in the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech. The success was enormous, and we wanted to create a permanent collection of the master in Morocco. Saint Laurent owes a lot to this country: he has lived here since 1966 and, according to him in my own words, it was here that he “discovered color,” this most important part of his work. And here he created many of his collections. There is a deep and inextricable connection between the Saint Laurent brand and Marrakech.

— Tell us about the location of the museum - it is located right on Yves Saint Laurent Street, next to the Majorelle Garden.

— The garden was built in the 20s of the last century by the famous French orientalist artist Jacques Majorelle. In 1980, the garden was under threat of destruction by new developments, but Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger were able to buy and save it. They restored the garden and opened it to the public. This place has become one of the most attractive tourist spots in Morocco, receiving more than 650 thousand visitors in 2016. We took the opportunity to open a museum right next to this garden, on a street named after the designer - it made logical and strategic sense.

— What makes your project unique? What opportunities can it give to young designers?

— There are quite a few museums dedicated to one fashion designer. The opening of two Yves Saint Laurent museums at once - one will be located in Paris and the other in Marrakech - is an unprecedented event. The Pierre Berger Foundation still holds unique collection, including 5,000 works by Saint Laurent and more than 15 thousand accessories by him. This made it possible to open two museums at once. They will help us understand the essence of the work of this revolutionary master.

Overall, this is a new phenomenon in museum world— more and more exhibitions are dedicated to fashion, and they attract great amount visitors all over the world. Fashion is no longer a highly specialized field; it has become a popular and serious topic for academic work related to aesthetic, technical, historical and social aspects. This is why museums are necessary: ​​they educate and inspire visitors, even if they are not directly related to the world of fashion. We hope that this is what will happen here in Marrakech.

— Tell us about the connection between Saint Laurent and Marrakesh.

— Saint Laurent was born in the city of Oran in Algeria, and when he bought a house here in 1966, he was only returning to his roots in his own way. Throughout his life he visited Marrakesh and Tangier frequently. Marrakech was a place where he could work away from the bustle of Paris, and the city where most of his friends lived, who remained with him until his death. I think he was truly happy here.

— What new art projects will the museum host?

“Everything that has to do with Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger, as well as the Kingdom of Morocco, will have a place in our museum. We have entered into a partnership with the Marrakech Biennale and are going to develop this line, exhibit works by Moroccan and international masters and artists. The museum's lecture hall will also become a permanent venue for various events. We want the museum to become a meeting place, filled with discovery and debate, a social channel accessible to everyone - especially Moroccans.

— What role does the Saint Laurent fashion house team in Paris play in this project?

— On the one hand, there is the Saint Laurent brand, which belongs to Kering and is engaged in commercial activities, on the other, the Pierre Berger Foundation, a non-profit organization that is engaged in the preservation and development of Saint Laurent’s heritage, as well as administering the master’s museums in Paris and Marrakech. We work more with the foundation, but this does not stop us from maintaining contact with the brand - most recently we hosted Anthony Vaccarello, creative director of Saint Laurent in Paris, at the Majorelle Garden. We took him on a tour of the museum and exchanged interesting ideas.

— Do you think modern Saint Laurent is a completely new brand or still updated, but retaining old features?

- This frequently asked question about fashion houses that have outlived their creators. I feel that Saint Laurent represents modernity, freedom and style. The press often talks about the DNA of brands, but in the case of YSL, these words are precisely its DNA. Modernity, freedom and style are what I expect when I look at new collections at home, no matter who their author is.

— How were you able to transfer the concept of high fashion from the house of Saint Laurent?to the new museum?

— There is a trap that many curators fall into: you can’t just take everyday objects (especially clothes) and put them in a museum space. It is important to breathe life into them while maintaining their original character. This is a difficult matter, but I am confident that we will be able to present the master’s creations in a lively, vibrant and understandable way.

— What is the architectural concept and design philosophy of the museum?

— The Pierre Berger Foundation asked the architectural studio Studio KO to build a building that would simultaneously meet modern trends and embody Moroccan culture. That’s exactly what they did: contrasting cubes and curves are harmoniously combined with each other, all proportions are respected for the convenience of visitors. Only local materials were used to create the museum, reminding us of the patterns and textures of fabrics, and the pink granite that adorns the façade of the building reminds us of why Marrakech was often called the “ocher city”.

To work on the main exhibition hall we hired set designer Kristov Martin. Here are the designer's classic works, inspired by his interest in the dynamics of relationships between men and women, as well as his travels, extravagant parties, and art. And, of course, African and Moroccan influence is felt in all works.

Vintage Saint Laurent works are presented against a minimalist black background, and our audio-visual presentation will bring each of the outfits on display to life.

— As you already said, the museum will display more than 5,000 dresses, 15 thousand accessories, as well as drawings, sketches and photographs. How did you work to preserve all these artifacts in their original form?

— The collection is under the protection of the Pierre Berger Foundation and is transferred under our responsibility. To begin with, each object undergoes a series of procedures in our restoration laboratory - this happens with all unique works of art. On the lower tiers of the museum there is a huge space in which ideal conditions for storing fragile exhibits. There we will place a collection of Saint Laurent objects, as well as more than 3,000 objects from the reserves of the Berber Museum, which is located in the Majorelle Garden and is also under our responsibility. Often the public knows little to nothing about how a museum works and how much work goes on within its walls every day. For example, fabric is one of the most fragile materials, and it is very difficult to preserve it. But our museum guarantees the safety and durability of the exhibits.

— Will the museum accept new works inspired by the aesthetics of the house?Saint Laurent?

- Certainly! We plan to constantly update the collection, because the collection of the foundation in Paris is huge.

— The museum has not yet opened, but has already attracted a lot of attention.

— It’s true—the interest in the project is impressive. The names of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger continue to attract the public and the press. This is what makes us move on and develop our project.

— When will the official opening take place and who will be among the guests?

— The museum will open its doors in October 2017. We have compiled a large list of guests from the world of art and fashion, but we are keeping it secret for now!

That being said, there is nothing more French outside of France than Marrakech. And that's why.

House and Museum of Yves Saint Laurent

One of the most famous couturiers in France, whose collections were often inspired by different countries, in fact, rarely traveled abroad. The only exception was Marrakech, which became a second home for the fashion designer. Yves Saint Laurent not only visited this city often, but also lived for a long time in Marrakech with his life partner Pierre Berger. He first came to Marrakech in 1966, persecuted by fashion critics and torn by doubts about his own talent. This city healed him and ignited his talent even stronger. Together with Berger, Yves Saint Laurent bought the garden of the artist Jacques Majorelle, improved it and built a house next to it. After the death of the couturier, a small museum was opened in the garden, which gave an idea of ​​the life and work of the great fashion designer. A few years ago they opened new center is the first museum in Africa dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent and the history of fashion. On this moment it is more impressive and cohesive than the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Paris. The authors of the project were Carl Fournier and Olivier Marty, Parisian architects in love with Morocco. Studio KO, which they created, has worked extensively on the construction and decoration of hotels and private homes throughout the country. The building of the new museum turned out to be light, as if woven from a thousand threads. The museum houses halls of temporary exhibitions, large library, lecture halls and cinema hall. But the main thing in the exhibition is the couturier’s personal belongings, dresses and accessories from couture collections different years. This is probably the number one place to visit in Marrakech at the moment.

Details
www.museeyslmarrakech.com

Serge Lutens House and Museum

Unlike the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, visiting the home of one of the most famous perfumers in France is not so easy. As far as I know, only one hotel has the opportunity to send its guests there - Royal Mansour Marrakech. The cost of visiting the house-museum is not only high, but is available only to truly wealthy tourists or true fans of the work of Serge Lutens: a ticket costs 600 euros per guest. This is not a house, but a whole collection of palace houses, which in Morocco are called riads and which the maestro bought and combined into a single space year after year. For 35 years now, restoration has been ongoing there to this day. All houses are very different in size, architecture and interior content. What I saw was rather a non-residential space, and you won’t find Serge Lutens’ personal belongings there. But in one of these houses there is a museum that shows the distillation process and gives the opportunity to listen to almost all the aromas created by the maestro.

Royal Mansour Hotel

The Royal Mansour Marrakech is owned by the King of Morocco, so it's not really a hotel, but rather a place where you come to visit. King and members royal family Quite often they visit the Royal Mansour Marrakech to see royal guests from other countries, have lunch or just relax. At the same time, no one blocks access to the hotel. When I was at the La Grande Table Marocaine restaurant, representatives of the royal family and their guests were having dinner in the next room. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that you could so easily sit with the Princess of Morocco (the official title of the king’s wife) in the same restaurant, albeit in different rooms.

The French restaurant La Grande Table Francaise is one of the favorites in the city not only for the King of Morocco, but also for the local elite and expats who work in Marrakech. The decor, porcelain, dishes, silver will take you to the banks of the Seine, where the chef is from. To get acquainted with the cuisine, I recommend ordering a set from the chef, which includes perhaps the most interesting dishes of French cuisine, but with an oriental touch. The wine list, as expected, is dominated by French producers, but you can also try local Moroccan wines.

In addition to La Grande Table Francaise, Royal Mansour Marrakech recently opened an ideal restaurant for lunch. The hotel expands the territory, planting the free space with orange trees and fragrant plants, turning the desert into a garden, and in one of the corners of this garden a romantic restaurant, Le Jardin, has appeared. Chef Yannick Alleno, winner of three Michelin stars, offered a menu of Mediterranean cuisine with an Asian twist, where seafood and grilled meats are complemented by dim sum and signature rolls.

Royal Mansour is a place designed for relaxation. Therefore, the hotel has one of the largest spa complexes I have seen. The design of the building deserves special mention: when you walk inside, you feel as if you are entering a large, dazzling white bird cage. On a sunny day, the shadows from the forged rods are incredibly beautiful patterns on the floor and walls. On an area of ​​2,500 square meters there is a large greenhouse with a swimming pool, a fitness room, two oriental baths, a relaxation area with a tea room, a beauty salon and separate spa rooms. Royal Mansour's team of experts has chosen the best means: marocMaroc body care line made in France from traditional Moroccan ingredients, Sisley for facial treatments and Leonor Greyl for hair care. The spa offers more than 100 beauty rituals, for myself I chose the oriental hammam with cleansing with traditional black soap-scrub and the Tahlila hair restoration procedure using a Moroccan mixture of oils, herbs and plants, which has helped for centuries Moroccan women restore healthy appearance and shine to hair.

The hardest thing about Royal Mansour is forcing yourself to leave your riad. Since the hotel was built as a royal guest house, the construction budget was not limited. Yes, yes, it happens. Therefore, you will probably not see such a design and interior decoration of a hotel anywhere in the world. All the best masters Morocco (and not only Morocco) in forging, wood and bone carving, working with mosaics and tiles, painting with paints and gold were involved in the construction of the hotel. Believe me, the first day of your stay will take you to carefully examine every centimeter of the space you find yourself in. At the same time, which is absolutely incredible, there is no feeling that you are in a museum at all. Everything is done conveniently and comfortably, and throughout your stay you feel at home.

Details
www.royalmansour.com

If you do want to leave the hotel and go out into the city in the evening, I recommend Le Palace, a hotbed of French culture in North Africa. The place is notable not only for its cuisine, which is undoubtedly good, but also for its style and general atmosphere. It's like you're being transported to a French boudoir. Lots of wood and purple velvet on the walls large photos Yves Saint Laurent. Owner Nordine Fakir is a passionate admirer of the designer's personality, and the place is said to have been "blessed" by Pierre Berger himself. Here are the best cocktails in the city; there is no prosecco in the bar - only champagne. Le Palace is visited by all the celebrities who visit Marrakech: Hollywood actors, top models and musicians.

Details
Corner of Avenue Echouhadda and Rue Chaouki Hivernage, Marrakech, Tel: +212 5244-58901

"There is a garden in Marrakech that I have a real passion for."
Yves Saint Laurent

What is a must-see in Morocco?
Majorelle Garden by Yves Saint Laurent, which is located in Marrakech.

About Yves Saint Laurent:

Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent is a fashion designer who reigned in the world of high fashion for more than 40 years. After the death of Christian Dior, for whom Yves began as an assistant, in 1957 he became the head of his fashion house (he was 21 years old). He introduced elements of the men's wardrobe into women's fashion - leather jackets, thigh-high boots and even tuxedos (1966). Considered the founder of the unisex style.

About the Majorelle Garden

Yves Saint Laurent's friend Pierre Berger said: "When Yves Saint Laurent and I first arrived in Marrakesh, we could not even think that it would become a second home for us."

The designer and his companion were fascinated by an abandoned garden with a collection of exotic plants from all over the world, which previously belonged to the French artist Jacques Majorelle; his home-workshop was located in the garden. In 1980 they bought it and began restoration work. Many buildings had fallen into disrepair by that time. rare plants died, the colors faded.
The villa and garden were restored, the unique garden buildings were put in order and now “Majorelle’s Garden” (it still bears the name French artist) is one of the most full meetings fauna from all over the world and is open to visitors for a nominal fee.

About the collections of Yves Saint Laurent

In his haute couture collections, I. Saint Laurent allowed himself bold experiments with styles. With a brilliant gift for stylization, he could transform almost any creative source into modern clothing. In the same collection autumn/winter 1966-1967. there were “pop art” dresses - made of knitted fabric with huge appliqués in the form of lips, hearts, female profiles and body outlines. Their bright colors reminded acrylic paints paintings by artists of the most fashionable art movement of the 1960s. - “pop art”, and the motifs of the appliqués are the surreal models of E. Schiaparelli. Historical costume was the prototype of suits with velvet jackets trimmed with lace collars and culottes.
In the summer collection of 1967, I. Saint Laurent turned to an ethnic source - in short cocktail dresses under the motto “Bambara” he used motifs of primitive jewelry. The dresses were woven from linen and raffia fibers and colorful wooden beads, complemented by African-inspired jewelry and stylized African hairstyles. In the summer collection of 1968, he proposed the “safari” style - cotton models based on colonial costume. The same collection included transparent blouses, tuxedos and overalls with shorts. In 1968, Coco Chanel named I. Saint Laurent her spiritual successor, recognizing his merits for the first time. In 1969, Saint Laurent wowed audiences with colorful patchwork blouses and skirts, no doubt inspired by hippies, and sheer dresses trimmed with ostrich feathers. In the summer collection of 1969, the first men's trouser suit appeared, which was symbolically named “Leitmotif”. These suits will become as much a symbol of Saint Laurent's style as the tuxedo.

My impressions:

The color of the villa is very unusual - bright blue, a pond with lotuses and goldfish. And exposure graphic works Maestro on the theme "Love".

Sayings by Yves Saint Laurent

Love is the best cosmetic. But it’s easier to buy cosmetics.

Over the years, I have realized that the most important thing in a dress is the woman who wears it.

In this life, I regret only one thing - that I didn’t invent jeans.

Clothes should be subordinated to the woman's personality, and not vice versa.

Traveling is so great!
Nona Dronova

"There is a garden in Marrakech,
which I have a real passion for."
Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent was born in Oran (Algeria) in 1936, but the richness of colors and exoticism North Africa struck him 30 years later when he arrived in Marrakesh.

His friend Pierre Berger says: “When Yves Saint Laurent and I first arrived in Marrakech, we could not even imagine that it would become our second home.”

The designer and his companion were fascinated by an abandoned garden with a collection of exotic plants from all over the world, which previously belonged to the French artist Jacques Majorelle; his home-workshop was located in the garden. In 1980 they bought it and began restoration work. Many buildings had fallen into disrepair by that time, rare plants had died, and colors had faded.

The villa and garden were restored, the unique garden buildings were put in order, and now the “Majorelle Garden” (it still bears the name of the French artist) is one of the most complete collections of flora from all over the world. It should be noted that not a single day, even during restoration work, was the garden closed to visitors. Even that day, when I walked through the garden, painting work was being carried out, there were “Caution, Painted” signs everywhere, but the flow of visitors did not stop. Anyone can admire the wonderful monument of architectural and garden art.

It is in this villa-museum that an exclusive exhibition of works by Yves Saint Laurent related to Morocco is being held from November 27 to March 18.

The color of the villa really stands out against the terracotta red of Marrakech.

Entrance to the museum.

The exhibition features 44 mannequins dressed in classic Yves Saint Laurent designs. They demonstrate the deep connection between the artist's designs and Moroccan culture. Visitors are also offered unique photographs, documents, and sketches showing how the couturier interpreted national clothes inhabitants of Morocco, ornaments and embroideries.

First, in the first room we see scanned diaries of Saint Laurent on the walls, passages that relate to Morocco. All of them are accompanied by photographs from his life of one period or another.

Unfortunately, photography is prohibited in the museum, and there are almost no photos from this exhibition on the Internet; I had difficulty finding a few.

The first clothing room is called "Moroccan Inspiration". Inspired by the graceful lines of kaftans and djellabs, Yves Saint Laurent embellished traditional Moroccan garments and gave them new silhouettes. He reoriented ideas of oriental clothing for the free European woman of the late sixties and seventies. This room displays models from 1969-91.

Once in 1976, speaking about one of his collections, Yves Saint Laurent said: “This collection will be colorful, lively, bright. The fabrics will be woven the way they do in Morocco for sewing djellabs - striped wool.[...] I I don't know if this is mine the best collection. But this is my most beautiful collection."

Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco and exhibition organizer Pierre Berger at the opening.

“I wanted,” says Pierre Berger, “for the exhibits of this exhibition to tell visitors about Yves Saint Laurent’s love for Morocco. He is very well known all over the world, but he holds a special place in the hearts of Moroccans. The world-famous designer often received inspiration from this country.”

I liked the second room the most, it’s called “African Dreams”. The illusion of the Sahara at night is created - darkness, a low starry sky (the room is round and mirrored, due to this it seems that there are millions of stars around), sand under the models’ feet. The outfits in this room are from the 1967 collection.

The third hall is called "Colors of Morocco". There are really collected bright works couturier 1985-2000. The floor under the models' feet is strewn with rose petals. And the screen broadcasts a fashion show that was filmed in this garden, Yves Saint Laurent himself comments on the models. There are also amazingly beautiful precious jewelry here.

What I remember most about this room was this poncho-jacket with bougainvillea embroidery.

I am sure that the couturier was inspired for this model by his own garden, because it is buried in bougainvilleas. Yves Saint Laurent loved to relax in the garden in the shade of trees, enjoying tart-sweet Moroccan tea.

With Pierre Berger in the villa

Let's take a little stroll through the magnificent Majorelle Garden.

At the entrance we are greeted by a fountain.

Bamboo Grove

The entire garden is riddled with paths along which there are many benches; people (mostly tourists) come there just to sit and read a book in the shade of the trees while the birds sing. The garden is cool even in the hottest weather. This is a real oasis, an island of calm in the center of noisy and dusty Marrakech.

Ponds with fish and turtles

Nice fountain in front of the villa

Terrace

In the garden there is a memorial to Yves Saint Laurent. The great couturier died in 2008 in Paris, and his ashes were later scattered over this garden.

There is also a store in the garden where you can buy books and CDs about the life and work of the designer. Gallery of his abstractions, many works on the theme of love and his bulldog.

And a cozy cafe in Andalusian style

Residents of the city honored the memory of the couturier by naming the street along which the garden is located after him.

That's all. Hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for your attention!