Yves Saint Laurent: The Hamish Bowles Collection
FROM 30 JANUARY 2025 TO 4 JANUARY 2026

From January 30, 2025, through January 4, 2026, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech invites you to experience Yves Saint Laurent: The Hamish Bowles Collection, fifty-three odes to elegance, brought to life through an outstanding loan that will enthral visitors.

From January 30, 2025, through January 4, 2026, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech (mYSLm) unveils a new dimension of the master couturier’s work through an extraordinary collection on loan from Hamish Bowles, an unparalleled collector and renowned fashion historian. The museum has offered Bowles carte blanche in preparing the exhibition, which offers viewers an exclusive opportunity to explore, for the first time, a collector’s perspective on Yves Saint Laurent’s pieces. The 53 vintage garments displayed are not from institutional archives, but directly from Hamish Bowles’ private collection. Bowles, a distinguished graduate of the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London, has an exceptional eye and an encyclopedic knowledge of fashion history and garment construction, making his insights invaluable. His unwavering obsession with clothing has defined his career as a fashion editor, journalist, historian and exhibition curator.

An Immersive and Baroque Scenography
Through a scenography designed by Anglo-Irish opera director Patrick Kinmonth, the exhibition invites visitors into an immersive experience, blending three iconic periods of Yves Saint Laurent’s creations: his early years at Christian Dior (1958–1960), the House of Yves Saint Laurent (1961–2002) and the evolution of SAINT LAURENT rive gauche. By offering a personal perspective on Yves Saint Laurent’s genius, this masterful exhibition, richly documented by a behind-the-scenes film directed by David Boatman and accompanied by a catalogue in French and English, celebrates the timeless modernity of the couturier’s works while inviting Moroccan and international visitors to delve into a unique heritage, captured through the passionate gaze of a world-renowned collector.

A Living Collection
The Hamish Bowles Collection is not just a reflection of the couturier’s legacy; it embodies a seamless continuity between everyday wear and exceptional runway creations. Each piece tells a story, each silhouette evokes an emotion, all paying tribute to Yves Saint Laurent’s timeless genius. This exhibition goes beyond a mere retrospective, offering an immersive and stimulating experience, inviting viewers to understand and celebrate the couturier’s lasting influence. From the cocktail dress of the 1957 Autumn–Winter collection (Dior era) to the blue SAINT LAURENT rive gauche jumpsuit worn by Betty Catroux, 53 models, accompanied by sketches, workshop notes and illustrations from the museum’s collection, reveal the unique fusion of the creator’s life and work. Garments worn by iconic figures such as Nan Kempner and Lily Safra blend with those worn by anonymous women. Lastly, a 1969 patchwork ensemble evokes the influence of Marrakech on his creations, highlighting the special aura of Yves Saint Laurent, who continues to inspire women across the world.

Guest Curator: Hamish Bowles
Exhibition design: Patrick Kinmonth Atelier
Lighting: Studio ZNA 

Press kit :
English
French

In the theatre lobby, one sees the important work
done by yves saint laurent
for the theatre, ballet, cabaret and cinema

From the beginning of the 1950s until the end of his career, the couturier was greatly influenced by the stage and screen, as seen by a selection of sketches, drawings and photographs of the costumes he designed for them. He worked alongside Roland Petit, Claude Régy, Jean-Louis Barrault, Luis Buñuel and François Truffaut. His costumes were worn by Jean Marais, Zizi Jeanmaire, Arletty, Jeanne Moreau, Isabelle Adjani and Catherine Deneuve, who would become one of his closest friends.