Yves Saint Laurent: The Hamish Bowles Collection, Morocco

In 2025 – PLACES: Low Budget

ProjectYves Saint Laurent: The Hamish Bowles CollectionLocationMarrakech, MoroccoLighting DesignStudio ZNA, UKAdditional DesignCurator: Hamish Bowles; Exhibition Project Manager: Molly Sorkin; Scenography: Patrick Kinmonth Atelier London; Graphic Design: NR2154ClientYSL Museum MarrakechLighting SuppliersLuminii, ERCO, Procedes Hallier PhotographyMarco Cappelletti

Studio ZNA were invited by exhibition designer Patrick Kinmonth to light the personal collection of Hamish Bowles at Musee Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech. We worked closely with the curatorial team, designers and the museum to design and commission the lighting for this collection of 53 vintage YSL garments. 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.

The exhibition begins with Christion Dior with a display of exquisite pieces from early in the designers career. Along with the scenography we created an elegant reflected light in the Parisian salon set and used key light with singular shadows to express the masterly form and techniques in each piece.

Moving into the second section we enter a magical garden where the Haute couture collections of House of Yves Saint Laurent are grouped from daywear to individual star commissions to the glamour of evening wear. Here we lit to animate the pieces as if in dialogue with each other. The scenography moves from day to night and we create elongated shadows and chinks of details for a layered choreography of light and form.

The third and final section showcases the evolution to Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, bringing couture quality to ready to wear. With the Mondrian-esque scenography we wanted to inject energy and vibrancy by layering a lit geometry, capturing the pieces as if in a window or camera lens, suggesting a sense of nowness and complementing the modernity of the collection and of the collector himself.

Working closely with the museum and design team we utilised the existing products in stock and equipment to keep the project within budget. The addition of small set lights and the strategic placement of framing fittings let each piece stand alone beautifully and work cohesively with the scenography.

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