The opening of the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech is scheduled for October this year, which should make Morocco an even more attractive destination for lovers of fashion and high art. Reporters from Buro 24/7 Middle East were among the first to be invited to tour the 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 cultural center. In the main hall, of course, there will be a permanent exhibition of works by Yves Saint Laurent. The museum also has a 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 houses a bookstore, a café, administrative offices and a restoration department, all on a 4,000 sq. 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 tremendous, and we wanted to create a permanent collection of the master in Morocco. Saint Laurent owes a lot to this country: he lived here since 1966 and, in his 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 inseparable connection between the Saint Laurent brand and Marrakech.
- Tell us about the location of the museum - it is located right on Rue Yves Saint Laurent, next to the Majorelle Garden.
— The garden was built in the 1920s by the famous French orientalist painter Jacques Majorelle. In 1980, the garden was threatened with destruction by new developments, but Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé 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 hotspots in Morocco, with over 650,000 visitors in 2016. We took the opportunity to open a museum right next to this garden, on a street named after the designer, which was of logical and strategic importance.
— What makes your project unique? What opportunities can it give young designers?
— There are quite a few museums dedicated to one fashion designer. The opening of two Yves Saint Laurent museums at once - one in Paris and the other in Marrakech - is an unprecedented event. The Pierre Bergé Foundation still maintains a unique collection of 5,000 works by Saint Laurent and more than 15,000 accessories by him. This made it possible to open two museums at once. They will help us to understand the essence of the work of this revolutionary master.
In general, this is a new phenomenon in the museum world - more and more exhibitions are devoted to fashion, and they attract a huge number of visitors from all over the world. Fashion has ceased to be a highly specialized field, it has become a popular and serious topic for academic work related to the aesthetic, technical, historical and social aspects. Therefore, museums are essential: 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 Marrakesh.
- Tell us about the connection between Saint Laurent and Marrakesh.
“Saint Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria, and when he bought a house here in 1966, he was just going back to his roots in his own way. Throughout his life, he often came to Marrakesh and Tangier. Marrakech was the place where he could work away from the bustle of Paris, and the city where most of his friends lived, who stayed with him until his death. I think he was really happy here.
— What new art projects will the museum accept?
— For everything that has to do with Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger, as well as the Kingdom of Morocco, there will be a place in our museum. We have entered into a partnership with the Marrakech Biennale and are going to develop this line, exhibiting the work of Moroccan and international masters and artists. The lecture hall of the museum 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 team of Saint Laurent fashion house in Paris play in this project?
- On the one hand, there is the Saint Laurent brand, which is owned by Kering and is engaged in commercial activity, on the other hand, the Pierre Berger Foundation, a non-profit organization that preserves and develops the heritage of Saint Laurent, as well as administering the master's museums in Paris and Marrakesh. We work more with the foundation, but this does not prevent us from keeping in touch with the brand - most recently we hosted Anthony Vaccarello, the creative director of Saint Laurent in Paris, in the Majorelle Garden. We took a tour of the museum with him and exchanged interesting ideas.
— Do you think that modern Saint Laurent is a completely new brand or is it still updated, but retaining the same features?
- This is a frequent 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, and in the case of YSL, it is in these words that its DNA lies. Modernity, freedom and style are what I expect when I look at new collections at home, no matter who their author is.
— How did you manage to transfer the concept of haute couture from the house of Saint Laurentto 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 complex matter, but I am sure that we will be able to present the creations of the master in a lively, bright 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 is exactly what they did: contrasting cubes and curves are harmoniously combined with each other, all proportions are observed for the convenience of visitors. Only local materials were used in the creation of the museum, reminding us of the patterns and textures of fabrics, and the pink granite that adorns the facade of the building is a reminder of why Marrakech was often called the “ocher city”.
We hired set designer Kristov Martin to work on the main exhibition hall. Here are the designer's classic works, inspired by his interest in the dynamics of relationships between a man and a woman, as well as his travels, extravagant parties, art. And, of course, African and Moroccan influences are felt in all the works.
Vintage works by Saint Laurent are presented against a minimalistic black background, and our audiovisual presentation will bring each of the outfits on display to life.
— As you said, the museum will feature more than 5,000 dresses, 15,000 accessories, as well as drawings, sketches and photographs. How did you work to keep all these exhibits in their original form?
— The collection is under the protection of the Pierre Berger Foundation and transferred under our responsibility. To begin with, each object goes through 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 have been created for storing fragile exhibits. There we will place the collection of Saint Laurent objects, as well as more than 3,000 objects from the reserves of the Berber Museum, which is also under our responsibility in the Majorelle Garden. Often the public knows almost nothing about how the 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 maintain it. But our museum guarantees the safety and durability of the exhibits.
– Will the museum accept new pieces inspired by the aesthetics of the houseSaint Laurent?
- Certainly! We plan to constantly update the collection, because the fund's collection 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 for now we are keeping it a secret!
The Majorelle garden is one of the main attractions of Marrakech. This magnificent garden was created in Marrakesh by the French artist Jacques Majorelle. The garden is small in size, but it strikes the imagination with an abundance of flowers and beautiful trees.
In 1919, the French artist Majorelle came to Morocco to treat his lungs. In 1924 he buys a Moroccan-style villa in Marrakech and stays here forever. Around the villa, he builds the garden of his dreams, which inspired his creativity.After the death of the artist, Yves Saint Laurent bought the villa and the plot, who also found a source of inspiration here. Now the villa and the garden are run by the municipality of the city and are open to visitors.
Majorelle was an avid collector of exotic plants and financed botanical expeditions around the world. His garden brought together plants from all five continents. Some boldly call this garden landscape one of the wonders of the world.
After the death of Jacques Majorelle in 1962, the garden was abandoned for some time, and the house was demolished. But the famous French couturier Yves Saint Laurent and his friend Pierre Berger bought the territory of the garden in 1980 and took care of its restoration and maintenance.
A lot of effort and money was spent on the restoration of the house. The artist's old studio has been converted into a small museum of Islamic art. Now here you can see Majorelle's watercolors dedicated to the nature and landscapes of southern Morocco. Also here are the private collections of Yves Saint Laurent.
Majorelle, like Claude Monet, was passionate about collecting plants, financed botanical expeditions, maintained business relations with botanists around the world, and exchanged rare specimens with them. From his trips, he brought North American and Mexican cacti, Asian lotuses, unusual plants from South Africa.
The garden is quite small (the total area is about one hectare), but it is so cleverly planned with paths winding among plants and trees that it looks much larger than it really is.
It is home to hundreds of exotic plants and trees from five continents.These include cacti, bamboo, coconut palms, olive trees, flowering potted plants, shrubs, and aquatic plants.
Canals were laid here, fountains were created, marble pools with lilies growing in them.The garden is home to more than 15 species of birds, whose natural habitat is the region of North Africa.
The Majorelle manor and garden have been a source of inspiration for the great couturier Yves Saint Laurent for many years. Yves Saint Laurent is considered one of the most high-profile personalities in French fashion in the 20th century. The peak of his popularity in the world of high fashion came in the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1983, he became the first fashion designer in history to have an exhibition at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art during his lifetime. In 2001, he was awarded the Legion of Honor by French President Jacques Chirac.
He became the first designer to use the services of black models on the catwalks during fashion shows. Thanks to him, elements of the men's wardrobe appeared in women's fashion - trousers, leather jackets, thigh-high boots and even tuxedos.
The restored and revived garden is divided by four pedestrian alleys in such a way that patterns of bright tropical flowers emerge. The range of what you saw in the garden is impressive: a forest of bamboo, bougainvillea, yucca, laurel, geranium, hibiscus, cypress, 400 species and subspecies of palm trees, 1800 species of cacti. In a charming, and not so small pond, overgrown with papyrus, water lilies bloom and frogs and fish live, a charming fountain functions.
The last time the great Couturier visited Marrakesh was in November 2006, and in 2008 he passed away. The body of Yves Saint Laurent was cremated and his remains were scattered in the Majorelle Botanical Garden, where he often found solitude and peace. This is how the great fashion designer described his impressions of this divine place: “For many years now, I have found an inexhaustible source of inspiration in the Majorelle Garden, and I often dream of its unique colors and colors.”
Ever since the time of Majorelle, there are wide vases made of burnt clay in yellow, green or "live" blue. They contrast sharply with each other - various shades of green, lemon yellow and a special blue color, which in winter takes on the same shade as the sky.
The abundance of water in the garden is striking. Numerous ponds, fountains, irrigation and decorative channels maintain high humidity and create an almost tropical climate for plants. The stone-paved paths are so hidden from the hot sun by the crowns of trees and vines that you get the feeling that you have wandered into the jungle.
The main element of the design of the garden was the use of native drought-resistant trees and other plants of Morocco, especially palm trees, cacti and other succulents, floral plants are few here.
Majorelle includes the characteristic features of a water garden in the image of the garden of the famous French impressionist Claude Monet at Giverny, as well as traditional Islamic irrigation canals and fountains.
To the right of the workshop, a pond lurks, as if wild, the smooth surface of its surface is generously strewn with water lilies and water lilies; the edges are hidden in thickets of marsh grasses. Here and there you can see frogs philosophically contemplating the world. From the pond, a pattern of paths scatters in all directions, alluring with their solitude and bright spots of clay pots with plants placed in them.
Garden visitors can sit or even lie down on such comfortable benches nestled on the paths, everything contributes to peace of mind and relaxation, a sensual feeling of complete harmony. All elements of this extraordinary garden, both living and non-living, are in absolute harmony, calculated and built by the artist's talent.
Another innovation was the cultivation of exotic plants that could not easily withstand the arid local climate, such as bamboo from Indochina and South African lilies. After all, collections of rare and very beautiful cacti, succulents, drought-resistant bulbs and palms from all over the world have taken root and grow here, often reaching enormous sizes.
In the garden there is a pavilion, the former home of the artist, which is distinguished by its architecture. Jacques Majorelle closely studied the art of Moroccan artisans, which amazed and inspired him with its sophistication and originality, which was later reflected in the design of the house.The idea of Jacques Majorelle was to paint the house in a bright blue color that would contrast sharply with the lush vegetation of the garden. Subsequently, this color was called "Majorelle Blue".
After the death of Jacques Majorelle in 1962, the garden was abandoned for some time, and the house was demolished. But the famous French couturier Yves Saint Laurent and his friend Pierre Berger bought the territory of the garden in 1980 and took care of its restoration and maintenance. A lot of effort and money was spent on the restoration of the house.
The artist's old studio has been converted into a small museum of Islamic art. Now here you can see Majorelle's watercolors dedicated to the nature and landscapes of southern Morocco. Also here are the private collections of Yves Saint Laurent.
The left side is given to a collection of representatives of various cacti and succulents - this is the territory of deserts, the right side is the territory of the tropics. On a relatively small area, the creators of the garden managed to combine landscapes that are very different in style and needs of plants. The view is instantly attracted by desert vegetation
Nature itself prompted the decision - columnar, up to 15 meters high, cereuses in combination with slender cycads, chamerops, date palms fill the space with graceful verticals.
The Majorelle Garden, which still bears the name of the French artist, is one of the most complete collections of fauna from all over the world. Many consider it the only one of its kind.
Here and there, clusters of ferocactus, echinopsis, trichocereus come across, blooming or already with fruits. There are rounded compact specimens, as well as curved ones, similar to snakes preparing to throw. There are solitaires, but not many. And, of course, the famous Gruzoni echinocactus, popularly nicknamed "the mother-in-law's chair." There are so many of them here that not a single mother-in-law will leave without “resting”.
Between cacti and palm trees, you can observe a variety of succulents - stunning aloe, agave, young, attracting attention to themselves with their inflorescences, and some with spotty, tuberculate-pimpled, prickly leaves. Plants will never reach this size, age and flowering in apartments, such magnificence can only be contemplated in nature and sometimes in greenhouses.
On the main avenue leading to the villa, there is a long pond, at the end of which there is a small Moroccan-style gazebo. It is buried in the greenery of exotic plants presented here in all their diversity.
Chance Editor-in-Chief Victoria Belaya talks about the places you should definitely visit in order to get an idea of Marrakesh - a city of contrasts and two cultures.
Yves Saint Laurent MUSEUM
The first thing you need to visit in Marrakech is Yves Saint Laurent Museum. And I'm telling you this - a man who, to his shame, does not like museums. Usually I prefer a walk around the city to a visit to a museum or gallery, but in the case of Marrakesh, everything turned out the other way around.
Set aside half a day to visit the museum. Do not skimp on the time - believe me, there is something to see. Pierre Berger, Laurent's civil husband and business partner, was the curator of this project. By the way, he did not live up to its official opening only one month. It was Berger who donated 5,000 personal items of the designer and 15,000 accessories from couture collections to the museum. So to walk through the museum in half an hour, as I assumed at the beginning, you are unlikely to succeed.
In addition, there is a stunning restaurant in the courtyard of the museum that serves international cuisine. At lunch, we determined that the only drawback of the museum was the lack of wine on the menu, and the French neighbors supported us in this! But seriously, in my personal TOP, this museum occupies an honorable first place both in terms of content and energy.
Next to the museum are majorelle gardens. The gardens were created back in the 20s by the artist Jacques Majorelle, who collected rare plants from different parts of the world. There he built himself a villa and painted it bright blue. After the death of the artist, the gardens fell into disrepair, and after some time Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger bought them from the local authorities, which saved the gardens from complete destruction.
The gardens are open to the public, all you need is to buy a ticket, however, this can be difficult. There are a lot of people who want to take a selfie against the backdrop of the cobalt house of Majorelle, so waiting in line can stretch for several hours. In this case, I would recommend contacting the hotel concierge in advance - for a small tip, he can find someone who will stand in line and buy this ticket for you.
Entrance fee to the Yves Saint Laurent Museum: €9
Entrance fee to the Majorelle Gardens: €7
MARKET
If you flew to Marrakesh, you simply must visit the main attraction of the city - Central Market. And if you have already come to the market, you must buy something, or rather, you simply have to bargain with everyone! You can't buy, but you can't bargain. If you ask a price and silently leave, you will definitely not be understood and taken for a rude person.
But if you immediately offer half as much, a spark of respect will flash in the eyes of the merchant. It is important here not to get confused and to be on the same wavelength. To be honest, I got so excited that I managed to bring down the price at times.
But my main trophy is a lamp at an initial price of 800 euros, which I got for only 100! To do this, I had to review all my photos on my phone over the past few years and find a joint photo with Andriy Shevchenko so that my newly acquired friend had the opportunity to tell everyone that he is now friends with the person who is friends with his favorite football player. True, I had to lie about friendship with Andrei, but, as they say, all means are good in war!
The cost of souvenirs: from €5 to several thousand
for oriental lamps and carpets
Marrakech can hardly be called a calm city. If you want silence, go to the desert! An hour from the city you can find amazing campsites for those who want to be alone with themselves. It is customary for us to go to the forest or to the sea, and in Marrakech they go to the desert, where you can gain strength and get rid of the bustle of the city. Quite by chance we came to a place that fascinated us all. – this is the name of the campsite, which our concierge recommended to us as the best in Marrakesh. You can come to Scarabeo Camp both for the day and stay for the night. There are specially equipped tents with a bedroom and a shower room.
During the day, they are entertained with quad bikes and camel rides. In the evening, a bonfire is lit and dinner is served by candlelight. An absolutely mesmerizing sight. The territory is large enough, so if you want to retire, then it will not be difficult for you. A large noisy company will also not interfere with any of the guests. I did not dare to stay overnight in the camp, because even the silence needs to get used to gradually. And the realization that I was in the middle of the desert without any address pressed on my mind even more than silence. Here is the truth that I learned in the desert: after all, I love people and civilization! For the sake of this, I think it was worth coming to the desert and actually flying to Marrakesh!
Tent cost per day: €240
HOTEL LA MAMOUNIA
If you like a more European style of architecture, I recommend staying at La Mamounia. The influence of France is clearly felt here, and the mixture of Moroccan and French motifs gives the design a certain charm and lightness. There are a lot of young couples in the hotel, mostly French, so at times you get the feeling that you are somewhere in Deauville.
Room price per night: Deluxe Park Room – €621
That being said, there is nothing more French outside of France than Marrakesh. And that's why.
House and Museum of Yves Saint Laurent
One of the most famous couturiers in France, whose collections are often inspired by different countries, in fact, rarely traveled abroad. The only exception was Marrakesh, which became a second home for the fashion designer. Yves Saint Laurent not only visited this city often, but also lived in Marrakesh for a long time with his life partner Pierre Berger. He first came to Marrakech in 1966, driven by fashion critics and torn apart by doubts about his own talent. This city healed him and ignited his talent even more. Together with Berger, Yves Saint Laurent bought the garden of the artist Jacques Majorelle, ennobled it and built a house nearby. 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, a new center was opened there - the first museum in Africa dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent and the history of fashion. At the moment, it is more impressive and solid 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, worked hard 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 accommodates temporary exhibition halls, a large library, lecture halls and a cinema hall. But the main thing in the exposition is the personal belongings of the couturier, dresses and accessories from couture collections from different years. At the moment, this is perhaps the number one place to visit in Marrakech.
Details
www.museeyslmarrakech.com
House and Museum of Serge Lutens
Unlike the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, visiting the home of one of France's most famous perfumers is not easy. As far as I know, only one hotel has the ability to send its guests there - Royal Mansour Marrakech. The cost of visiting the house-museum is not just high, but is available only to really wealthy tourists or true fans 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, and to this day, there is a continuous restoration. All houses are very different in size, architecture and interior content. What I saw is rather a non-residential space, and you will not find personal belongings of Serge Lutens there. But in one of these houses there is a museum that shows the distillation process and gives you the opportunity to listen to almost all the fragrances created by the maestro.
Royal Mansour Hotel
The Royal Mansour Marrakech is owned by the King of Morocco, so it's not exactly a hotel, but rather a place where you come to visit. The King and members of the royal family often visit the Royal Mansour Marrakech to see royal guests from other countries, dine or just relax. Access to the hotel while no one closes. When I was at the La Grande Table Marocaine restaurant, representatives of the royal family were having dinner with their guests in the next room. It didn’t fit in my head that you could easily sit with the princess of Morocco (the official title of the king’s wife) in the same restaurant, albeit in different halls.
French cuisine 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. Decor, porcelain, dishes, silver will take you to the banks of the Seine, where the chef comes 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. As expected, the wine list 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 the perfect restaurant for lunch. The hotel expands the territory, planting free space with orange trees and fragrant plants, turning the desert into a garden, and in one of the corners of this garden, the romantic restaurant Le Jardin has appeared. Chef Yannick Alleno, the owner of three Michelin stars, offered a menu of Mediterranean cuisine with an Asian flavor, where seafood and grilled meats are complemented by dim sums and author's rolls.
Royal Mansour is a place designed for relaxation. Therefore, the hotel has one of the largest spa complexes that I have seen. The design of the building deserves special mention: going inside, it’s as if you find yourself in a large dazzling white bird cage. On a sunny day, the shadows from the wrought iron bars create incredibly beautiful patterns on the floor and walls. On an area of 2500 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. The Royal Mansour team of experts has selected the best products: marocMaroc body care line, made in France with traditional Moroccan ingredients, Sisley for facial treatments and Leonor Greyl for hair care. The spa offers more than 100 beauty rituals, my choice was an oriental hammam with a traditional black scrub soap cleansing and a Tahlila hair restoration treatment using a Moroccan blend of oils, herbs and plants that has helped Moroccan women restore healthy and shiny hair for centuries .
The hardest part 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 the hotel anywhere in the world. All the best masters of Morocco (and not only Morocco) in forging, carving wood and bone, working with mosaics and tiles, painting with colors 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 in which you find yourself. 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 the rest you feel at home.
Details
www.royalmansour.com
If you still want to leave the hotel and go out into the city in the evening, I advise Le Palace - the center of French culture in North Africa. The place is remarkable not only for the food, which is no doubt good, but also for the style and general atmosphere. You seem to be transported to a French boudoir. Lots of wood and purple velvet, large photos of Yves Saint Laurent on the walls. The owner, Nordin Fakir, is an avid admirer of the fashion designer's personality, and the place is said to have been "blessed" by Pierre Berger himself. Here - the best cocktails in the city, in the bar there is no prosecco - only champagne. Le Palace is visited by all the celebrities who visit Marrakesh: Hollywood actors, top models and musicians.
Details
Corner of Avenue Echouhadda and Rue Chaouki Hivernage, Marrakesh Tel: +212 5244-58901
"There is a garden in Marrakech that I have a real passion for."
Yves Saint Laurent
What are the must-sees in Morocco?
Majorelle Garden by Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech.
About Yves Saint Laurent:
Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent is a fashion designer who has reigned in the world of high fashion for over 40 years. After the death of Christian Dior, with whom Yves started as an assistant, in 1957 he became the head of his model house (he was 21 years old). Introduced elements of men's wardrobe into women's fashion - leather jackets, thigh-high boots and even tuxedos (1966). Considered the founder of the unisex style.
About 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 our second home."
The designer and his companion were fascinated by an abandoned garden with a collection of exotic plants from around the world, which previously belonged to the French artist Jacques Majorelle, his house-workshop was located in the garden. In 1980 they bought it and started restoration work. Many buildings by that time had fallen into disrepair, rare plants died, colors faded.
The villa and garden have been restored, the unique garden structures have been 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 fauna from around the world and is open to visitors for a nominal fee.
About the collections of Yves Saint Laurent
In the haute couture collections, I. Saint Laurent allowed himself bold experiments with styles. Possessing a brilliant gift for stylization, he could turn almost any creative source into modern clothes. In the same collection autumn / winter 1966-1967. there were "pop art" dresses - from knitted fabric with huge applications in the form of lips, hearts, female profiles and body contours. Their bright colors were reminiscent of the acrylic paints of the paintings of the most fashionable artists in the art of the 1960s. - "Pop Art", and the motifs of applications are surrealistic models of E. Schiaparelli. The historical costume was the prototype of costumes 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. 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 inspired by the colonial costume. In the same collection there were transparent blouses, tuxedos and jumpsuits 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 the public with colorful patchwork blouses and skirts, no doubt hippie-inspired, and see-through dresses trimmed with ostrich feathers. In the summer collection of 1969, the first men's trouser suit appeared, which was symbolically called "Leitmotif". These suits will become as much a symbol of Saint Laurent style as the tuxedo.
My impressions:
The color of the villa is very unusual - bright blue, a pond with lotuses and goldfish. And an exposition of Maestro's graphic works on the theme "Love".
Sayings of Yves Saint Laurent
Love is the best cosmetic. But cosmetics are easier to buy.
Over the years, I realized that the most important thing in a dress is the woman who puts it on.
In this life, I regret only one thing - that jeans were not invented by me.
Clothing should be subordinated to the personality of a woman, and not vice versa.
Traveling is so great!
Nona Dronova
