Yves Saint Laurent Onstage exhibition explores designer's performing arts passion

The exhibition is co-curated by designer Stephan Janson and Domitille Éblé, head of collections at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris.

Culture

The Yves Saint Laurent Onstage exhibition Credits: Courtesy of Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech

By Isabella Naef

Automated translation

Read the original it or de ja

At the end of January, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech (museum entirely devoted to the work of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech, Morocco) launched the Yves Saint Laurent Onstage exhibition, dedicated to costumes and set designs for theatre, music hall, and ballet.

The exhibition will be open until January 5, 2027. With this show, the museum reveals a lesser-known but significant facet of Yves Saint Laurent's creative genius: his enduring passion for the performing arts. This passion was born from his first aesthetic revelation at the age of 13 in Oran, Algeria. The exhibition is co-curated by designer Stephan Janson and Domitille Éblé, head of collections at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris.

Exhibition to highlight Yves Saint Laurent's early passion for the stage

Conceived as a natural extension of the first presentation held at the Fondazione Nicola Del Roscio in Rome in 2024, the exhibition can be considered its "act II", according to a statement.

"Although the essence of the exhibition seen in Rome remains intact, the Marrakech edition will be staged with an even more ambitious vision and enriched with previously unseen pieces. The exhibition offers an in-depth look at the continuous dialogue between the couturier and the performing arts, thanks to the collections and archives of the Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent in Paris, as well as exceptional international loans."

The exhibition will close on January 5, 2027 Credits: Musée Yves Saint Laurent of Marrakech

Universally known for revolutionising the female wardrobe, Yves Saint Laurent was also a visionary costume designer. This exhibition highlights his early passion for the stage. This is evidenced by the cardboard models of his "Illustrious Theatre" made in his childhood home in Oran. From his collaboration with Roland Petit for Cyrano de Bergerac to his creations for Zizi Jeanmaire and her iconic "Mon truc en plumes" costume, the couturier always sought movement, freedom, and the embodiment of the character.

As this investigative and in-depth exhibition reveals, Yves Saint Laurent's costumes were never mere ornaments. They were a second skin designed to enhance the performer's movement. French stage icons, from Sylvie Vartan to Johnny Hallyday, saw their stage presence elevated by the designer's masterful touch, making each costume an extension of their personality and energy on stage.

Yves Saint Laurent Onstage offers an immersive scenography that transports visitors into a behind-the-scenes atmosphere. The exhibition juxtaposes vibrant preparatory sketches; original costumes, often made by the Karinska workshops; set designs; and rare archival materials. Visitors are invited to capture the precise moment a sketch by Yves Saint Laurent became a costume. This is when the fabric "gave life to the character", in a constant tribute to the colour palette of Léon Bakst.

The museum dedicated to the designer was founded in 2017 and is located in the heart of Marrakech, a short walk from the Jardin Majorelle.

The museum entrance Credits: Musée Yves Saint Laurent of Marrakech

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

Yves Saint Laurent