New exhibition celebrates Yves Saint Laurent’s love of dogs

A devoted pet owner, the late French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent once said “I only feel comfortable at home with my dog, my pencils, and my paper."

They were a constant presence in his life, including his four famous French bulldogs all named Moujik, offering comfort and inspiration.

Now, an exhibition at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakesh is offering a glimpse into his relationship with them through rare documents, candid photographs, and original sketches.

A 1982 Paris photo shows the designer with Moujik II during preparations in Studio 5, documenting a glimpse into his professional life with his loyal companions.

Madison Cox, President of the Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent, said they thought it would be an amusing and fun exhibition.

“Of course, he was always photographed with his dogs, in most portraits, his intimate life, he was photographed with them,” he said.

Cox said it is also an opportunity for the public to see another aspect of the designer’s world that was quite private.

“There are his creations and his works that he created, but also it's interesting for them to discover a very humane side of him as well."

The designer first visited Marrakesh in 1967 and several years later bought a house there with his long-term partner, Pierre Bergé.

Starting from around 1970, photos of the Moujiks and a series of chihuahuas all known as Hazel, document the details of his daily life with the animals.

"Dogs always played a very strong role within Yves Saint Laurent's life. He always had dogs since he was a young child,” Cox said.

“Marrakech, of course, was a place where he would come as a retreat. All his vacation time was always spent here. A little bit in Tangier, but mostly Marrakech. And he'd always come accompanied by his dog."

The designer’s dogs throughout the years were endearing figures, silent muses, whose presence permeated both his personal universe and his work.

Icons in their own right, two of the Moujik’s were immortalised by artists Andy Warhol and David Hockey.

Central to the exhibition is the book, "Yves Saint Laurent and his Dogs," by Martin Bethenod that was published earlier this year.

"It illustrates all the different types of dogs that Yves Saint Laurent had. For a number of years, he had a Mexican Chihuahua, which was a very small dog that really almost travelled in his pocket," said Cox.

“Yves Saint Laurent and his Dogs” runs at the museum in Marrakesh until September 2026.