Fans of French designer Yves Saint Laurent can mark their calendars. Come 2017, The Foundation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent that works to preserve the legacy of the famous designer, will open two museums dedicated to his life and work.
The foundation has selected Paris and Marrakech in Morocco as the locations in which 5,000 haute couture garments and 15,000 accessories will be on display. Also set to be featured, are thousand sketches, photographs and the like that the designer himself had archived since 1961, when he created his fashion house.
The Parisian museum will be located in the historical couture house at 5 Avenue Marceau where Yves Saint Laurent designed his work for 30 years, from 1974 until 2002. The site has also been home to the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent since 2004. Visitors will be able to explore a constantly updated display of the collection. The museum will also include visits to the former haute couture salons, as well as Yves Saint Laurent’s studio.
The Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent in Paris will close in April 2016 in order to create the future museum. Stage designer Nathalie Crinière and interior designer Jacques Grange will recreate an exhibition area that will be twice as large as the existing space. They will also refurbish the designer’s couture house in the original style.
The museum opening in Marrakech will coincide with that of the Paris location. Yves Saint Laurent owned a house in the Moroccan city and spent a great deal of time there over the years. It was essential to his inspiration in his work. The space will be located on Rue Yves-Saint Laurent near Jardin Majorelle, a garden that he and Pierre Bergé saved from development in 1980. It is also now home to a Berber cultural museum and cultural site that receives 700,000 visitors a year.
French architectural firm Studio KO will build the 4,000 square meter structure that will comprise a museum with a permanent collection of Yves Saint Laurent’s work, a space for temporary exhibitions, an auditorium, a research library, as well as a café and restaurant.