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From the caftanwhich we all know, atabayaMuslim dress that covers the whole body except the head, feet and hands: Moroccan fashion starts right here, from its origins and traditions.
We saw it at the Maroc Fashion Week, the first event created to celebrate the style and heritage of this country, an offshoot of the already consolidated Oriental Fashion Show, born from the ambition of founder Hind Joudar to put the important know-how of oriental cultures in the spotlight. Just she who, studying and deepening the origins of the caftan for passion, has made a book dedicated to her story: Les Merveilles du Caftanpublished by Marsam.
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But what can you understand from the clothes we saw on the catwalk of the Mandarin Oriental of Marrakech, between spectacular cacti and fairytale sunsets? That there is no future without a past and that certain artistic and handcrafted heritages must be preserved and valued, such as, for example, the elaborate hand-made embroideries or some silhouettes, typical of a certain culture.
Here we present some of the designers of Moroccan origin, protagonists of the event.
Zineb Hazim is an Italian designer born in Morocco. Her fashion of hers (she studied at the Burgo Fashion Institute di Cesena) is a fight against stereotypes and at the same time a declaration of love. We had already met her through the Vogue Italia project that celebrated the Fab Five, five talents BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of color) of Made in Italy, promoted by WAMI, first black board of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion. Zineb, second from left, had thus presented her style, that is the modern reinterpretation of Islamic aesthetics.
She, who proudly wears it hijab – the Islamic headscarf – since he was a teenager, he is very clear who are the women he would like to dress: the new generation of boss lady, the modern fashion conscious professionals. And he wants to do it with veils and abaya modern and glamorous.
Calamain is a Moroccan brand created by Houssam Laadraoui who, since 2010, has specialized in handcrafted artistic embroidery (in 2020, however, the launch of the prêt-à-porter line). Its garments, for men and women, are characterized by very precious workmanship that tells the heritage and heritage of these lands and that require hours and hours of dedication and highly qualified personnel. Precision details made with sequins, pearls and gold threads that the Maison also makes available to many other luxury fashion houses. The highlights of Calamain? i The tailored jacket and trouser suits that paraded on the catwalk: colorful, bright and fascinating.
Two generations compared, able to dialogue and collaborate in a common direction. They are Souad Chraibi, founder of Renata Couture who has been dressing princesses and wives of Arab or European presidents with her sumptuous fashion for more than 30 years, and her daughter Khadija Chraibi, who after traveling and studying around Europe, launched her personal project: SAND.
On the one hand, Souad’s Haute Couture, extremely elegant and precious, on the other, Khadija’s vision of the Moroccan caftan, rethought with patterned fabrics and worn with shorts or slip dresses.
Her collections are successful all over the world, from Belgium to Italy (in particular in Milan) to Tajikistan and she, still excited by these awards, says: “When I was little, I started designing and creating clothes and accessories for my dolls to make them look like stars. Today I am living my dream! ».
His clothes they are suitable for the traditional style of Moroccan women, but also for those from all over the world. In this collection, then, among velvets and golden embroidery, you can breathe all the authenticity and refinement of a timeless fashion. Enchanting!
He graduated in law and finance, but immediately understood that his path is that of fashion design. “Since I was a very young fashion, caftans and creation have been at the center of my life – says Salma – so it was natural to follow my passion”.
His atelier and showroom is located in Marrakech, in the Sidi Ghanem district. Here, he creates fairytale clothes, in collaboration with local artisans capable of creating embroideries that recall ancient processes to be handed down. His color palette? Fluorescent green, fuchsia, yellow: vibrant and bright colors, perfect to wear on warm summer evenings.
These are some of the Moroccan-born designers that we have seen parade at Maroc Fashion Week and we can confirm that the charm of the oriental style is always pure poetry. Their embroideries with ancient knowledge, the woven fabrics worthy of a princess, the precious and special details tell us so much about their culture and their aesthetics. Which today, reinterpreted through the eyes of different generations, is even richer in stimuli and inspirations.
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Source: Vanity Fair
