The Dar El Bacha Museum, located inside one of the Marrakech’s most beautiful palaces, will hold a caftan and photography exhibition that celebrates fashion and beauty through the eyes of. Yves Saint Laurent and Serge Lutens. The event is in collaboration with the two foundations, Yves Saint Laurent-Pierre Bergé, and the Serge Lutens. From July 25-January 20, 2020. Visitors can anticipate a visual and sensory experience of two of the most sought after designers. French couture designer, Yves Saint Laurent, and renowned French photographer and fragrance maker Serge Luten’s work will be featured. Both capture Morocco’s historic beauty traditions and rituals.
Yves Saint Laurent is known in Morocco for the Majorelle Gardens & Yves Saint Laurent Museum. These cultural institutions are located in Marrakech and were created to honor the tradition of gardens, display Moroccan art and YSL’s historic couture collection. Pierre Berge, Laurent’s partner in life and business said, “it was natural to build a museum dedicated to the work of Yves Saint Laurent in Morocco, as he—even in the colors and the forms of his clothing—owes so much to the country.”
Serge Lutens was also enchanted by Morocco. His first visit to Morocco was in the 1980s which coincided at the time he became a fashion household name in Japan when he worked for Shiseido. Lutens was commissioned to create campaigns, commercial films and in between, he would travel to Marrakech to build his dream house. The project took 35 years to complete as he was more fond of the process rather than the outcome. His home incorporates Amazigh elements and North African designs. Luten was inspired by the works of artists like Georges Pierre Seurat, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, and Claude Monet. In the 1970s his photographic works were shown at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. In 2000, Lutens came into the spotlight again for creating a personal brand of fragrances. His scents Tubéreuse criminelle, Cuir mauresque and Ambre Sultan were said to mark a new chapter in the history of perfume.
Dar El Bacha can be accessed by entering Marrakech’s UNESCO world heritage medina through Bab El Bacha. The property was built in 1910 and once the residence of Thami El Glaoui. El Glaoui was named Pasha of Marrakech by Sultan Moulay Youssef in 1912. The building’s interior architecture is characterized by multi-colored zellige tile work and Andalusian style architecture. The museum is part of a network of 13 museums that have been entrusted to the National Museum Foundation. It is open every day of the week except Tuesdays from 10-6pm. The entrance fee is $7 USD. Guided tours are available by appointment.