Jacques Majorelle moved to Marrakech under the French protectorate in 1919. Fascinated by the city’s ochre landscapes, he bought a plot of land, then a second, to build his residence and a villa in the Hispano-Moorish style. Later, he extended the land to create a botanical garden, inspired by an oasis: a living refuge for his well-being and nature.
The garden is described as Impressionist in style. This is where two architectures meet: Islamic gardens, renowned for their geometric forms and central fountains, and Hispano-Moorish gardens, marked by their use of color and patios. To perfect his villa, he planted different varieties of vegetation from all over the world, including cacti, bougainvilleas, yuccas, water lilies, lotuses, water lilies, jasmine, palms, coconut palms, banana trees and bamboo, and added fountains, basins, fountains, ceramic jars, paths, pergolas and azulejos. It’s a garden rich in both history and plantings.
Covering an area of 9,000 m², this garden is a true tribute to nature in the open air. What caught my eye was its choice of Majorelle blue: an intense, mysterious and captivating blue. Between the variety of greenery and the red soil, it underlines the different contrasts and colors within the garden. It could be characterized as another of Jacques Majorelle’s works of art.
The soul of fashion in this lush garden
Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent were charmed by Morocco.
In 1966, Pierre Bergé and the great couturier Yves Saint Laurent fell in love with Morocco and its culture.
These visits to Morocco awakened the couple’s inspiration and taste.
The idea of taking inspiration from Mediterranean lands and expressing it in their collections was highly valued. So they decided to return twice a year, in December and June, to make the new collections. It was during his visit to Morocco that he realized the importance of color to him and his world. He developed a new palette of bright, piercing colors for his collections. These include yellow, orange, green, blue, pink and red.
A particularity of the great couturier is that he doesn’t like to travel. He prefers imaginary journeys to countries such as India, China, Russia and Tokyo. In fact, the only trip he undertook that bore fruit was to Morocco. It’s a place where he can plunge into the heart of his inspiration and recharge his batteries. It’s a new place to live, surrounded by flowers and vegetation, factors that have nourished his inspiration in addition to the Moroccan panoramas.
Seduced by the richness of the country, after numerous stays at La Mamounia, the emblematic palace of yesteryear, the couple decided to buy a house in Dar el-Hanch. A modest house furnished in the Moroccan art of living, with furniture from the Souk.
In 1974, they sold their villa to friends and bought another called Dar Es Saada, meaning “house of happiness in serenity” – located near the Majorelle garden. This garden was subsequently acquired in 1980, and left abandoned for several years following the painter’s death. Threatened by the construction of a housing project, they decided to save it and make it their new home. So they lived in the painter’s house, undertaking work to refurbish it as the painter would have done, to pay homage to him.
The artist’s villa, once a workshop, a place for meeting and sharing, is transformed into a Berber museum, where works of haute couture, imagined and created by the couple, are also exhibited. As for the studio, it has been transformed into a museum of Islamic art. Pierre Bergé, fascinated by Berber culture, replaced the museum of Islamic art with a museum of Berber art.
On his death, his ashes were scattered in 2008, and Pierre Bergé joined him in 2017.
In 2001, Pierre Bergé set up a foundation for the Majorelle garden for a number of reasons: for educational purposes, to support associations fighting disease and to preserve the garden, which is marked by a beautiful history.
To pay tribute to the fruits of Yves Saint Laurent’s labor, two museums have been opened in his name. One in Paris, the other in his Mediterranean haven of Marrakech.
His collections
Yves Saint Laurent designed collections in warm, vibrant hues, inspired by the clothes worn by local people. He also modernized traditional garments such as caftans. He designed 60 of them, interpreting them in his own way.
Three of these collections are important:
- Spring-Summer 1967 – the saharienne
- Spring-Summer 1980 collection – Moroccan colors
- Caftans inspired by Morocco
What’s the link with Les Demoiselles at Versailles?
This is where two worlds of royalty meet: French art de vivre and Moroccan refinement.
Currently expanding in Morocco, Les Demoiselles à Versailles concierge service seeks to blend these two cultures. Exceptional villas, made-to-measure services and authentic discoveries will make your trip unforgettable…
Les Demoiselles à Versailles concierge service exclusively welcomes carefully selected vacation rentals. The idea of being in Morocco is to immerse yourself in a foreign culture, to be inspired as Yves Saint Laurent once was.
It’s a place of peace, calm and serenity, an inspiring blend of culture, history and art de vivre.
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