A fusion of the Moroccan traditions and contemporary flair that inspired Yves Saint Laurent, a museum to the famed fashion designer is set to be unveiled Saturday in his beloved Marrakesh. / AFP PHOTO / FADEL SENNA (Photo credit should read FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)
The late couturier Yves Saint Laurent was greatly inspired by Marrakech in his designs after first visiting the city in the ’60s. Today, it’s where the Yves Saint Laurent Museum is located, which is next to the Jardin Majorelle, the garden the designer and his partner Pierre Bergé bought in 1980 to save from developers’ destruction. Now, there’s a villa next to the gardens that’s up for sale.
The six-bedroom property (listed by Sotheby’s International Realty), features original finishes like terracotta paving stones and hand-crafted “zelliges” Moroccan tiles. As noted in the listing, the side entrance overlooks the “street of Yves Saint Laurent.” To see more of the tropical decor, the pool shaded in a tranquil garden, and rooms on the property, take a peek at a virtual tour here.
Saint Laurent’s garden was first conceived and constructed by painter Jacques Majorelle in 1922, as a “sanctuary and botanical ‘laboratory,'” the foundation’s website states. When the designer and Bergé purchased Majorelle’s garden and home in 1980, they renamed the maison, “Villa Oasis.”
The designer took a lot of inspiration from his travels to Morocco in his work, famously saying, “Marrakech taught me color. Before Marrakech, everything was black.”
Fittingly, his love of Marrakech is being highlighted in an upcoming exhibit opening in Portugal next month. Dubbed the “Love” exhibition, the showing will take place at the Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval in Évora and will run from June 5 to October 31.
According to WWD, it will be separated into three segments. The first showcases designs inspired by Morocco, including loans from both the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent in Paris and private collectors. The next displays work by 13 contemporary Moroccan artists and the third pays homage to Bergé with dresses by Moroccan designer Noureddine Amir.
The outlet also announced that Saint Laurent’s Men’s show will be presented in Marrakech on July 15.
Years after the designer’s death, Marrakesh is still continuing to inspire.
