Sparkling kaftans hit the catwalk in Marrakech

Wearing dazzling traditional kaftans, models took to the Marrakech catwalk this week to showcase the latest local and international designs at the 18th edition of the most prestigious traditional fashion show in Morocco. The two-hour long event was held this year under the theme of 'Splendours of Empires.' Fourteen established fashion designers and two newcomers presented their creations at the show, taking their inspiration from the world's great empires.

The Roman, Babylonian, Macedonian, Russian, Chinese, Ottoman, Persian, British and Egyptian empires were all celebrated in a fashion show that aimed to set the trend for many other designers in the coming months. “We wanted to associate empires with splendor. With splendor, we are in some way paying tribute to the kaftan because it represents beauty, women, grace and glamour. It goes exactly with the event's concept.

We were looking for the contradiction between empires and splendor which stands for power and grace at the same time,” said the event's production director, Zineb Tainouri. Thought to have originated in Iran, the kaftan is now a trademark of Moroccan fashion, and is worn by Moroccan women seeking to combine tradition with modern style. Each kaftan is a unique work of art that needs hours of meticulous work by dozens of traditional artisans who work under the supervision of the designer. While some designers prefer to highlight Morocco's cultural heritage and refuse to make drastic changes to the garment, others choose to modernize it to reflect international trends. 

Fashion designer Khadija el-Houjouji, who presented her kaftan collection during the show, said her design embodied Morocco's culture and heritage, while at the same time reflecting modern fashion. “I am one of those who preserve the authenticity of the kaftan because it is our heritage and our children should know how to wear it. A dress is a dress, while a kaftan should remain as is. I took the original kaftan and introduced some new cuts and also some handwork by traditional artists and for these reasons, it was well received,” she said. But other designers at the event displayed more obvious changes to the traditional wear. Nabil Dahani, who studied fashion in both Rabat and Paris, said the French capital had had a significant impact on his style and inspired him to convey the cultural contrast between east and west in his work. He said he wanted to take Moroccan culture to the international stage.