Trois Coleurs: Bleu
Succulent and cool Marjorelle blue work magically in YSL’s garden.
Marjorelle blue is a shade of blue loved by the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, it is a deep cobalt blue colour that can be found in his Marrakesh garden- Jardin Marjorelle . I went to visit this garden on my recent visit to Marrakesh. The gardens were originally created by a Frenchman Jacques Marjorelles (hence the name) in the early 1900s and it was exquisitely restored by Yves Saint Laurent in the 1960s. The gardens themselves are like being in a lively Matisse painting, it is a garden which is a study in primary colours with the use of electric marjorelle blue, yellow and turquoise painted in blocks about the garden- on walls, on large urns, pots, pools and on the art-deco style studio in the heart of the garden. These blocks of glorious colour work magically with all the flora and fauna of the garden from succulent cactii, palm trees and exotic pond lilies.
The history of the garden is amazing. It is the story of two French artists and how they have been inspired by the beauty of Morocco at different points and in different ways during the 20th century. The creator of the garden Jacques Marjorelle discovered Marrakesh after World War 1 and found it an oasis-city whose colours, light and “souks soaked with fertile and happy life” immediately bewitched him. He moved there with his wife Andrée Longueville, whom he married in 1919. They first lived in a little house in the medina not far from the Jemâa el Fna Square. In 1931, he commissioned the architect, Paul Sinoir, to design a Cubist villa for him, constructed near his first house. This would be become his workshop and studio. The workshop which is central to the garden is art-deco in style and works Arab-inspired pergolas and decoration. A passionate amateur botanist, Jacques Marjorelles created a luxuriant garden which would become his most dazzling work. For almost forty years, he continued to enrich it with new varieties of plants from all five continents, fashioning a “cathedral of shapes and colours,” an “ impressive garden.” When Jacques died the garden fell into disrepair.
Yellow and blue make green in the Jardin Marjorelles
It wasn’t until Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé discovered the Jardin Majorelle in 1966 they said “we were seduced by this oasis where colours used by Matisse were mixed with those of nature. ” It was on such visits that they began plans to restore the garden to its former glory. Yves Saint Laurent would say he was able to find an unlimited source of inspiration in Jardin Majorelle, and that he dreamt many times about its unique colours- which we can surely see throughout his collections.
Yves Saint Laurent revelling in Morrocan style.
The garden is breathtaking – its a tranquil place under the shade of the palms away from the madness of the medina. If you do get a chance to visit Marrakesh its well worth a visit. Within the garden you will also find a museum to Berber culture, a small exhibition of Yves Saint Laurent’s Love Posters (which I blogged about here) and a wonderful bookshop. There is also a fabulous boutique selling glossy fashion books, jewellery and luxury kaftans.
It is in this boutique that I discovered the Loulou de la Falaise jewellery collection which was inspired by the garden. Imagine a collection of gold and blue earrings and necklaces and you have got the gist. Loulou was Yves Saint Laurent’s muse, friend and collaborator on his jewellery and accessory collections. A sift through her life in style brought up some of the most wonderful fashion images I had to share. Loulou was very much part of YSL’s life in Marrakesh and her flamboyant and inimitable style is captured in the sketch below. Loulou is the odalisque with turban.
Sketch of Loulou de la Falaise and Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakesh 1975.
The New York Times but it beautifully when writing about Loulou recently and said “Out of all the characters who animated those nonconformist, wildly indulgent, hyperinventive years, Loulou de la Falaise, who died in 2011 at the age of 64, was the star. Celebrated for inspiring and accessorizing Yves Saint Laurent’s couture and ready-to-wear collections for almost three decades.”
I was delighted and amazed to discover Loulou was Anglo-Irish and was once married to the 29th Knight of Glin of Glin Castle in Limerick. We can attribute her incredible sense of style to her Irish roots me-thinks! The pictures below are my most favourite of Loulou, here is she dressed in mock-maharaja style for her wedding, complete with a turban and white tights for her second wedding to Thadée Klossowski de Rola who is also resplendent in white. I am utterly mesmerised by her style, and yes the book about her life (beautifully illustrated) is on my list! Long live the fashion spirit of Loulou.
Here are some links to enjoy
A biography of “Loulou de la Falaise,” by Ariel de Ravenel and Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni is available online now.
Read Suzy Menkes review on the book on French Vogue here.
Watch an amazing video about Loulou here.
If you are visiting Marrakesh and looking for more information on Jardin Marjorelle read here & here.
Want your digits a Yves Saint Laurent Marjorelle Blue colour, see YSL Marjorelle Bleu Nail Polish here.
Photos of Jardin Marjorelle by Ruth Griffin on Canon EOS 600D.