MOROCCO:
A VIBRANT HERITAGE

“When I discovered Morocco, I understood that my own colour palette was that of zelliges, zouacs, djellabas and kaftans. The audacities that have since been mine, I owe them to this country, to the violence of the agreements, to the insolence of the mixtures, to the ardour of the inventions. This culture became mine, but I did not just import it, I annexed it, transformed it, adapted it.” Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent discovered Morocco in 1966, at the age of 33. It was a revelation : he fell in love with the light bathed country, its vibrant colours and its way of life so different to the Parisian bustle. The effect was so powerful, he instantly knew that this country would be his refuge, his paradise and an inexhaustible source of inspiration as it had been for artists like Delacroix and Matisse. To him, Morocco was more than a travel destination: after that first trip, assisted by Pierre Bergé , he bought a house and turned the sublime Majorelle Gardens into a haven of sheer happiness . It became his creative retreat a place that inspired his innovative ideas and bold use of colour.

THE PROJECT



The love story between Yves Saint Laurent and Morocco continues to the Ourika Valley at the gates of the Atlas Mountains, some thirty kilometres from the buzz of Marrakech. What used to be a wasteland has been transformed into a botanical garden. In addition to creating job opportunities for a cooperative of women, these gardens allow YSL Beauté to harvest some of the precious ingredients used in the YSL Beauté creation.