It’s no coincidence that there’s a Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech: the legendary designer always had a very special relationship with this city, where he spent a significant part of his life. Here we’ll tell you more details about it and, above all, what’s in this exhibition center that delights lovers of haute couture and culture in general.
Why a Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech
As we mentioned, the reason for having a Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech is that this city was very important to the designer: born in Oran (Algeria), he developed his career in Paris but also spent a lot of time here. Initially, staying at the luxurious La Mamounia hotel, but later in different properties he acquired with his partner and associate, Pierre Bergè, the most significant being Villa Majorelle.
Due to this close relationship between the designer and the city, and also to the rich collection that Bergè gathered and preserved, it was decided to create a museum to exhibit all this heritage for fashion lovers visiting Marrakech. Thus, the Studio KO, by architects Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty, designed this building at the beginning of the 21st century with mud brick (so important in the city) as the main material, inaugurating it in 2017.
What’s in the Museum
In the rooms that make up the museum’s tour, the rich heritage that Pierre Bergè gathered about Yves Saint-Laurent is exhibited. This includes, for example, unseen outfits or ensembles designed for grand occasions. Thus, walking through its halls becomes a kind of eternal fashion runway, where you can closely examine the attention to detail applied to each design. The number of pieces on display is around 50 and they are rotated, so the permanent exhibition is renewed over time to showcase the “wardrobe” of the museum itself.
In other areas, visitors can immerse themselves in the life and career of the designer, with photographs and other documents that reveal his inclinations and influences. For example, the inspiration he always felt from the paintings of Piet Mondrian stands out, but also places that made a great impression on him, such as the Sahara Desert, to which he felt so connected.
There are also temporary exhibition halls, where shows related to haute couture are organized. Another emblematic space is its conservation and restoration workshop, where work is also done on pieces belonging to the Berber Museum of the nearby Jardin Majorelle, managed by the Pierre Bergè – Yves Saint-Laurent Foundation.
The museum also has a gourmet café, bookstore, and auditorium, the latter for holding lecture series and other events.
Key Facts about the Museum
The Yves Saint-Laurent Museum in Marrakech opened in 2017. The project was carried out by Studio KO, which deployed a design inspired by the city’s architecture, with reddish brick as the main construction element, but with nods to modernity and fashion, such as its curved and enveloping shapes.
- Opening hours: Thursday to Tuesday, from 10:00 to 18:30 (closed on Wednesdays)
- Price: 140 Dh (75 Dh reduced price for students and children from 10 years old). There are combined tickets with Jardin Majorelle and the Berber Museum, for 330 Dh (180 Dh reduced). Children under 10 and other groups enter for free
- Address: Rue Yves Saint Laurent 4000. Marrakech
