Die-hard Yves Saint Laurent fans rejoice! Next year will see the launch of two brand new museums dedicated to the late French-Algerian designer’s life and work, one in Paris and one in Marrakech. Announced today by the Foundation Pierre Bergé — which currently houses five thousand haute couture garments, 15 thousand accessories and thousands of printed ephemera — both sites promise to be open by fall 2017.
The Parisian museum is set to occupy Yves Saint Laurent’s former couture house, on 5 Avenue Marceau, which has been home to the Foundation Pierre Bergé — Yves Saint Laurent since 2004. The space that was once Saint Laurent’s studio will become a creative knowledge exchange for visitors keen to learn the intricacies of couture. Stage designer Nathalie Criniere and interior designer Jacques Granges will restore the exhibition space back to the style of the original couture house.
Meanwhile Morocco’s museum will be situated on Rue Yves Saint Laurent. Having visited the country in 1966 and fallen in love, the designer referenced Marrakech in his collections for years to come. So it seems an apt location to host the work of Saint Laurent. “It feels perfectly natural, 50 years later, to build a museum dedicated to his oeuvre, which was so inspired by this country,” says Pierre Bergé of the new venture. Located close to the renowned Jardin Majorelle — a garden rescued from development in 1980 by Bergé and Saint Laurent himself — French architectural firm Stuido KO will be leading the project.