Yves Saint Laurent found a lasting source of creative inspiration in Morocco. Today, the museum bearing his name and the neighbouring Jardin Majorelle rank among the most rewarding cultural attractions in Marrakech. Bev Malzard bathes in blue.
Morocco is a banquet of colour, beauty, history and tradition, served with exceptional hospitality. In its great cities, life continues to unfold within medinas and souks that retain the energy, intimacy and occasional confusion of the mediaeval world.
Marrakech, the famous ‘Red City’, was shaped by dynasties, desert caravans and centuries of trade across North Africa. Spices, fabrics, leather, food, animals and finely worked crafts all passed through its markets, creating a visual richness that continues to excite the senses.
It was this colour and vitality that captivated French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.
Saint Laurent first visited Marrakech in 1966 with his partner, Pierre Bergé. The city became his second home and an enduring source of inspiration. He later said that, before discovering Marrakech, his colours had been black. Morocco opened his eyes to bold combinations of blue, red, green and yellow that would become unmistakable elements of his work.
Visiting the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech
Opened in 2017, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech celebrates the life, work and creative legacy of one of the 20th century’s most influential couturiers.
The museum is no conventional fashion retrospective. Its permanent and temporary exhibitions explore Saint Laurent’s designs alongside art, photography, theatre and other creative disciplines. Carefully controlled lighting, music and beautifully presented garments give the galleries an almost theatrical atmosphere.
The building itself is part of the experience. Constructed from terracotta-coloured local brick, its curved exterior recalls threads of fabric or the sweep of a draped cloak. Inside, the displays draw upon an extensive archive of garments, accessories, sketches and photographs preserved by the Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent.
The result is both intimate and absorbing. Even visitors with little interest in fashion may find themselves moved by the craftsmanship, imagination and sheer beauty of the collection.
Exploring Jardin Majorelle
Beside the museum is the spectacular Jardin Majorelle, one of the best-known gardens in Marrakech.
French painter Jacques Majorelle began creating the garden in 1924, gradually filling it with plants collected from around the world. Bamboo, yucca, palms, cypress and banana trees grow among bougainvillaea and great stands of otherworldly cacti.
The garden’s earthy greens contrast dramatically with the electric-blue villa and architectural features painted in the colour now known as Majorelle Blue. The combination creates a vivid, almost surreal landscape in which water, foliage and intense colour provide a welcome retreat from the busy streets of Marrakech.
Saint Laurent and Bergé bought the property in 1980, saving it from redevelopment and restoring Majorelle’s original vision. They later opened the garden to the public, preserving an extraordinary botanical and artistic legacy for the city that had inspired them.
The Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts
A visit should also include Majorelle’s former Art Deco studio, now home to the Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts. Its collection celebrates the history and creativity of Morocco’s Indigenous Amazigh people through hundreds of objects from across the country.
Displays include intricately worked leather, wood and metal, along with textiles, musical instruments, ceremonial objects and traditional clothing. The highlight is a mirrored, midnight-black octagonal chamber filled with an exquisite collection of jewellery. It is dramatic, sumptuous and beautifully curated.
From the museum, visitors emerge into a boutique stocked with handsome coffee-table books and tempting, if pricey, souvenirs. Majorelle Blue slippers, fragrances and cushions embroidered with the YSL monogram provide a final flourish.
It is difficult to leave without taking home a little something, in blue, of course.
For current exhibitions, opening hours and visitor information, see the official Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech website
Bev Malzard travelled as a guest of Morocco specialists By Prior Arrangement
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