Yves Saint Laurent Onstage Exhibition in Marrakech

The Yves Saint Laurent Onstage exhibition was opened in the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech in late January. The exhibition is centered around Yves Saint Laurent's work in theater, music halls, and ballet. The exhibition will be open until January 5, 2027. It provides a new perspective on a lesser-known but important side of Yves Saint Laurent's work.

This exhibition features Yves Saint Laurent's lasting love for the performing arts, which was sparked in him when he was just thirteen years old in Oran, Algeria. Curated by Stephan Janson and Domitille Éblé from the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris, the show explores how stage performance influenced his artistic vision. Building on the 2024 Rome exhibition, the Marrakech edition features an ambitious set design and previously unseen pieces, using items from the Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent archives and international collections.

Saint Laurent is known to be a visionary costume designer. He revolutionized women's fashion by highlighting movement, freedom, and character expression. The artistic works created were not only for decoration but were incorporated into the performances and became a vital part of the artists' identities. The works ensured that artists such as Sylvie Vartan and Johnny Hallyday became more captivating on stage, which is what led to their legendary success.

The exhibition offers visitors a realistic setting to walk around and view original costumes, sketches, and set designs, including rare archival pieces. Some of the works were created by the famous Karinska workshops, thus showing how sketches can be transformed into living costumes inspired by Léon Bakst's bright colors.

The Yves Saint Laurent museum has been open since 2017 and is located in the heart of Marrakech, near the Jardin Majorelle. It continues to honor the designer's lasting cultural impact.