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Meet me in Marrakech

From the Musée Yves Saint Laurent to the labyrinth of stalls in the city's souks. RUSSH Editor in Chief, Jess Blanch, took a whirlwind trip to Marrakech with Van Cleef & Arpels.

Stay ...
The regal La Mamounia at the heart of the old city and facing the Atlas Mountains is Moorish opulence at its best. Vast gardens and a pool for days. Winston Churchill loved it here, and I can see why.

Take ...
I couldn’t resist the urge to channel Yves Saint Laurent himself and packed silk-cotton kaftans from Muzungu Sisters, Lucy Folk’s pool robes and rompers, an Eres bikini, tan sandals and espadrilles. And of course, a camera and my favourite Loewe body bag.

Do ...
When there’s a new city to explore I rarely go to the spa, but Morocco is home to the hammam and the experience at the Royal Mansour is truly insane. Tour a souk to get a feeling for how they live and if you’ve come to buy a rug then it has to be Kulchi. My favourite local discovery was lifestyle brand LRNCE. And a private tour of Serge Luten’s confidential casbah is a must. Tourist moves should include the Musée Yves Saint Laurent and the Jardin Majorelle, where the Berber Gallery lives. Spend a day by the pool listening to the blues (for me it was Bismillah Khan) at the Beldi Country Club.

Taste ...
One word. Tagine. El Fenn for rooftop drinks at sunset, dinner at Terrasse des Espices  and the lovely garden of Restaurant La Famille for home cooking and small daily menu. If chef Yannick Alléno is in town try to be invited into his kitchen at The Royal Mansour.