Travel and art are my two greatest passions, and luckily they often meet in the same place. Today I want to tell you about the Musée Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech, a must-visit for anyone passionate about fashion and architecture, or simply curious about the bond between art and different cultures.
As the name says, the museum is dedicated to the famous designer Yves Saint Laurent. Opened on October 19, 2017, it stands in the very city with which he built a deep bond, so much so that his business and life partner Pierre Bergé said the designer owed a great deal to Morocco, whose imprint shows up everywhere in his creations, from colors and shapes to countless inspirations.
The museum building was designed by the French firm Studio KO, led by Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty, and stands on Rue Yves Saint Laurent, not far from the famous Jardin Majorelle.
Of the museum’s roughly 4,000 m² (about 43,000 sq ft), around 2,400 m² (26,000 sq ft) are devoted to the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. Besides the galleries, the museum also has a research library, an auditorium, a café-restaurant, a bookshop and event spaces.
You’ll be captivated by its impressive collection of iconic haute couture garments, accessories, original sketches, photographs, videos, runway archives and drawings, including collections spanning Yves Saint Laurent’s entire career, which are displayed in rotation to preserve them.
Contrary to what some believe, the museum doesn’t just hold clothes: its archives include atelier materials, photo archives, audiovisual materials and much of the behind-the-scenes world of couture, all displayed to tell not only the story of the finished garments but also the creative process, so often influenced by Morocco and Africa, complete with cultural and geographical references.
Visiting Marrakech? Let the Yves Saint Laurent Museum enchant you
For many travelers and true fashion and fashion-history lovers, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum could even be the main reason to plan a trip to Marrakech. The iconic bond between the designer and the Red City gave his intense career a strongly Moroccan legacy, something that has always fascinated anyone sensitive to the importance of dialogue between cultures.
The museum has become a true bridge between the Western haute couture heritage and the North African influences that inspired the designer, helping make his name recognized and admired worldwide as one of the greatest exponents of French fashion, creativity and luxury.
Architecturally, too, the building is an enriching experience. It’s a contemporary design that reinterprets Moroccan materials, textiles, textures and shapes, showing how art, fashion and the local context can blend perfectly. The museum is a work of art in itself, well worth admiring in all its splendor, and it pairs perfectly with a visit to the Jardin Majorelle, a place the designer adored and bought with Pierre Bergé in the 1980s, and the Berber Museum, dedicated to Bergé, for a day of nature, culture, art and fashion.
From colors to shapes to atmospheres, every detail of Yves Saint Laurent’s collections was influenced by Morocco, a land that gives and receives, welcomes and gives back. From this powerful bond of mutual admiration, a museum entirely devoted to the designer’s creative life was bound to be born, right on Rue Yves Saint Laurent.
If you’re wondering what all this beauty costs, rest assured that admission is in line with any other museum. At the time of writing, entry to the YSL Museum costs about 140 dirhams (around €12–13), with some variations by ticket type. You’ll certainly save with a combined ticket including the Jardin Majorelle (and often the Musée Pierre Bergé des Arts Berbères), at about 330 dirhams (around €30), a better deal if you want to visit several places on the same day. Tickets are sold ONLY ONLINE on the official website at least 24 hours in advance; there’s no ticket office on site.
Lisa
