The authenticated secrets of Yves Saint Laurent in Morocco

The Museum as Manifesto

When the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech (mYSL) opened in 2017, critics whispered: Why here? The answer lies in its architecture—a terracotta labyrinth by Parisian firm Studio KO, its brickwork mimicking the warp and weft of fabric.

What the archives confirm:

• The "Mondrian Room" displays the infamous 1965 shift dress that got YSL fired from Dior. Vogue called it "an assault on fashion"—now it’s priceless.
• 50 original sketches show Saint Laurent obsessively redrawing Marrakech’s Koutoubia Mosque (his favorite silhouette inspiration).
• The "Le Smoking" tuxedo on display is the exact one worn by Nan Kempner when she was refused entry to NYC’s La Côte Basque in 1969—for "wearing pants".

A detail only insiders know:
The museum’s black marble floors are polished to a mirror finish—so visitors literally walk on sky, just as YSL envisioned in his 1976 collection notes.

Jardin Majorelle: The Color That Changed Fashion

Jacques Majorelle spent 40 years perfecting his garden’s electric blue. But it took YSL to turn it into a global obsession.

Verified stories from the Fondation Pierre Bergé archives:

• Saint Laurent and Bergé discovered the abandoned garden in 1966. The caretaker told them it was "cursed by djinns"—they bought it the next week.
• The Villa Oasis (their private home) hosted Andy Warhol in 1979. The only photo shows them drinking Mint tea laced with absinthe—Warhol’s idea.
• The garden’s cactus nursery supplied spines YSL used to texture his 1988 "Prickly Pear" embroideries.

How to visit like a curator:
At 7:45 AM, before opening, the head gardener sometimes allows VIP guests to touch Majorelle’s original 1930s paint pots (arranged by Pantone code).

The Lost Supper: YSL’s Last Meal in Marrakech

In June 2008, a terminally ill Saint Laurent hosted 12 people at Dar Yacout. The menu survives in the restaurant’s ledger:

• First course: Pastilla made with dove from the Atlas Mountains (his final scribbled note: "More cinnamon!")
• Main: Lamb tagine with plums from his garden
• Wine: 1979 Château Roslane (a Moroccan Cabernet he helped blend)

The smoking gun:
The final invoice, framed in Dar Yacout’s office, shows Bergé crossed out the €4,000 tip and wrote "Not enough—he was a genius."

The Moroccan Wine Revolution (That YSL Predicted)

In 1983, Saint Laurent served Moroccan wine at his Marrakech show. The French press sneered. Today, those same vineyards supply Michelin-starred Paris bistros.

The bottles that made history:

• Domaine de Sahari Gris 1999 – The rosé served at YSL’s final fashion show (now auctioned for €850/bottle)
• Val d’Argan "Oriental" 2005 – served at President Macron’s 2018 state dinner

Where to taste them authentically:

• Le Trou au Mur – Their "YSL Menu" pairs each course with the wines he actually drank (proven by cellar receipts).
• Comptoir Darna – At 1 AM, ask for the "Berber Blend"—a carafe of unofficial vineyard experiments YSL secretly funded.

The Souvenir Hunt: Beyond the Souks

Forget mass-market babouches. These archival-approved treasures exist:

1. A vial of Majorelle Blue pigment (sold exclusively at the garden’s boutique—legally this time)
2. "The Marrakech Sketchbook" – A limited-edition facsimile of YSL’s 1970s watercolors (Fondation Pierre Bergé, €120)
3. A cassette tape of the 1972 dinner party playlist (Warhol, Bowie, Chaabi folk—sold at Rue de la Liberté’s vinyl black market)