Dos diseñadores marroquíes cerrarán la Semana de la Moda de Madrid
The 77th edition of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid (MBFWM) opens to Moroccan fashion. For the first time, two Moroccan designers will close the great catwalk of the Spanish Fashion Week, giving way to the Allianz EGO catwalk dedicated to emerging promises of national fashion.
Maison ARTC and Albert Oiknine will bring the MBFWM to a close, presenting their pieces in the fashion show 'Morocco, Kingdom of light' on Saturday 18 February at 20:30.
Maison ARTC, the firm of designer Artsi Ifrach, is one of the most internationally famous Arab fashion brands. During its fashion show at IFEMA, the Moroccan firm will present an exclusive collection for the occasion, full of richness, colour and eclectic style, as the MBFWM organisers point out.
Pure drama. By Artsi Ifrach for Maison ArtC
— V&A (@V_and_A) February 12, 2023
See it at Africa Fashion (2 for 1 tickets through February - enter AF241 at checkout: https://t.co/PViLM69sYy)
? Dress/trench coat, mask and crinoline, Morocco, 2022 pic.twitter.com/fWLBwcSjuz
"I am trying, through the material around me, to create a story that captures culture, memories, craftsmanship. I'm using antique and handmade materials," Ifrach says. The Moroccan designer's aim is to create "an emotionally moving memory". "Vintage fabrics can unite the past and the present. Colours and prints are my landscape," he adds.
Maison ARTC was awarded the Fashion Trust Arabia prize in Doha, Qatar, the most relevant fashion award in the Arab region. The Moroccan brand exhibited its creations and pieces at the prestigious Victoria & Albert Museum in London and this year will exhibit them in New York.
Exploring imaginations through fashion and culture in ways that bring the universe to a form of art, Moroccan-based fashion label Maisonartc bridges craft and heritage to create timeless pieces.#AFFspotlight#AfricanFashionFoundation pic.twitter.com/txxptrMuhL
— African Fashion Foundation (@AfricanFashFndn) February 10, 2023
As IFEMA points out on its website, Maison ARTC is inspired by elements such as religion, culture and memories. Its collections are made up of unique pieces of clothing and accessories for men and women (not gender), hand-embroidered in its own workshop in Marrakech using antique pieces.
On the other hand, Albert Oiknine is one of the most prestigious designers of Moroccan kaftans and is considered the designer of reference for the Royal Court of Morocco. In his work we can see sophisticated, feminine and elegant pieces that transmit the essence of Moroccan craftsmanship with Western influences. The garments stand out for their volume, lace and embroidery, as well as for the use of elements such as pearls and stones.
Créations d’Albert Oiknine pic.twitter.com/J25xz4Pmny
— ? (@tasukouarth) February 8, 2023
Collections designed by Oiknine such as "Caftan du Maroc" have been paraded on international catwalks in Paris, Berlin, London, New York, Chicago, Milan, Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Some of its garments have been worn by celebrities such as Aishwarya Rai, Noémie le Noir, Melita Toscan Du Plantier and Myriam L'Aouffir Strauss-Khan.
Oiknine, in addition to being closely linked to Moroccan royalty, has also organised private fashion shows for Middle Eastern princesses, as well as for international actors such as Will Smith. The Moroccan designer has also been involved in making film costumes for Tom Hanks and Amira Casar.
"My creations are synonymous with femininity, authenticity, orientalism. Moroccan craftsmanship inspired by an oriental and traditional universe mixed with Andalusian heritage", explains Oiknine. During the fashion show in Madrid, she will present "a collection made up of hippie chic garments in primary colours, the golden caftan from The Thousand and One Nights, brides in the colour of the Lights...", he says.
✡️❤️☪️ Albert Oiknine fait honneur au caftan marocain
— partenariat maroco-israelien (@partenamaroisra) October 15, 2022
s’inspirant d’une tradition de couture ancestrale et raffinée érigée et nourrie par les grandes figures de l’artisanat juif marocain. pic.twitter.com/w8RxJ2RClW
This is not the first time that Moroccan fashion has been present at an event of this kind in Spain. Last November, Morocco was the guest of honour at the 18th edition of the Andalusian Fashion Week, held at the headquarters of the Three Cultures Foundation of the Mediterranean in Seville. Siham El Habti, Amina Boussayri, Meriem Belkhayat, Safae Ibrahimi, Amine Mrani and Zahra Lahbabi had the opportunity to present their collections at the opening of the block dedicated to Moroccan designers.
The presence and relevance of Maison ARTC and Albert Oiknine at Madrid Fashion Week highlights the strong and solid Spanish-Moroccan ties. The partnership between the two countries is not only developing in areas such as the economy, trade, tourism and politics, but also in the cultural and artistic sectors.
