handicraft morocco


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handicraft morocco


Morocco Handicraft?
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Since not all people know what is meant by the word "Morocco", the name Morocco or Al Maghreb witch is the Arab name term. It means "the far west " or "where the sun sets". The government of morocco is a legitimate monarchy; witch is governed by a very powerful king. The thing that gives this unique and special Moroccan identity is combination of European and Arab influence, faithfulness and respect to the king, a strong Islamic base and the mix of modernity and traditions.

The current number of population in morocco is thirteen million; half of them are under the age of 19. 99, 1 per cent of this number of our population are Arab Berbers.
Agriculture and forestry are known to be the basis industries that control Morocco's economy. Things like Barley, wheat, citrus, vegetables and domestic animals are produced for continuation and trade. In 1993, Morocco took a new step of privatization, in order to encourage international investors to invest in our country. The government allowed the transfer of 112 enterprises, 37 hotels and 75 companies to the private segment.
Morocco is the world leader in the production and exportation of phosphates, with three-quarters of the world's assets. Other important industrial activities like rock mining, construction, food processing, and the production of leather goods and textiles. An important sum of foreign exchange profit is brought by the tourism industry. Because of the rich and original cultural and historical tradition and famous hospitality of the people, tourism filed is growing quickly every year.

While speaking about Moroccan economy, we must not forget a major industry that gave the fame to our country and helps to boom the economy. It is the craft industry.

The talent displayed by the craftsmen to give a pleasant appearance to useful objects has never ceased to satisfy the Moroccan and foreigner customers. It is with the art of the craftsman we turn to give spirit and beauty to the most modest and basic materials, leather, and wood, clay, copper or wool. Discover the work of our Moroccan craftsmen who have mixed together tradition and modernity, to fit all people tastes, needs and wants.

Morocco is one of the most special and wonderful places a person could ever see and visit. It is well known and distinguished more than other countries by a special thing, which is crafting and producing traditional items. There are two categories of crafting that exist in morocco, which are rural crafts, crude, original, fiercely rebellious to any foreign influences, and craft inheritor to the Hispano-Moorish traditions, sophisticated, demanding. When it comes to the choice of raw materials, it is true, in some extent, under forms and decorations of older models.

When you first visit Morocco for the first time, you will be surprised by the unique style and art of innovation of creating and designing things. Moroccan people have formed a rich creative tradition in their countries. Traditional production or handicraft in other words does not include just clothes (Djelabas), but also, home designing and decors that follows traditional and original styles, which makes these products different from others and demanded more than others from different country as well. The Moroccan craft industry reflects the rich cultural familial country-specific and represents a major economic deposit. It takes a big part from the Moroccan custom; some examples of handicrafts are Zellij work, pottery and ceramics, jewelleries and accessories, carpets, leatherwear, and traditional clothing of course and also natural cosmetics. They Proposer une meilleure traductithey they are also presented in very wide sorts which are basket work, stone work, silver smith, handbags, embroidery, blankets and others.

Crafts, at the time of the consumer society, become a productive sector like any other sector. However we stay persuaded that the crafts existence is conditioned by the beauty and originality of its production.

The products of Moroccan handicraft are one of the characteristics of Moroccan lifestyle.

The most important thing in the traditional industries in Morocco is that it employs the majority of the country's labour force and specially the poor category of the Moroccan population. Traditional production in general is an important part in the economy of morocco because it raises the economic growth development of the country. It is the one that support and accomplish the full image of it. Traditional industry in Morocco is not related only to a country's economy, but it reflects the artistic image and the old traditions that became innovated and took a modernity way, with keeping its basis and traditions as well. The art and magic of traditional items is a vital factor that pushes tourists to visit morocco. Besides historical places and weather, the art of handicraft result a huge visits from tourists each year. In 2009 morocco, over 8.3 million tourists have visited Morocco. Handicraft is the magic and mix between innovation, tradition, talent, imagination and colours. Our country is one of the major craft producing in the whole world. It is necessary to know that handicraft supports the economy of the country. The fact of exporting products abroad, made a big and large difference in Morocco's economic situation between now and before.

A general orientation is tending in the direction of the integration of crafts to the national economy, in a dynamic and comprehensive vision. The system (government) shows that the craft, by its nature, is not intensive in capital and labor. As a result, the sector is called upon to remain for a long time, it will be important in any development effort, if it is used as a mechanism for a progressive transformation of what is called “the traditional economy”.

Craft sector is the sector where investment of capital by individual is the most fragile and weak. Responsible people intend to give to this employment policy a double dimension; social and economical dimensions.

When speaking about crafts and economy, we must definitely speak about three things which are; raw materials, equipments and labor.

Raw materials: While speaking about raw materials, it is essential to establish a policy of cooperation in this field, between important ministries (agriculture, commerce, industry and crafts). It will guarantee a higher availability of raw materials for craftsmen. It is better to recommend not allowing the export of raw material or semi-finished only after having satisfied the local needs.

Equipment: The craft is known to transform speedily in order to better integrate into the modern economy. It will be forced to change its methods and improve its equipment. It is also necessary to review the policy pursued by the Government on investment.

The advantages given by the Code of investments will be approved only to projects that will hold back in any government action in the domain of handicrafts. For a number of products produced, it must refuse or reject small businesses that don't have a future and replace them with factories and production units, high efficiency and with a respectful capital.

Work force: The problem of labor should be considered in the context of accelerated growth of production, given the potential marketing of craft national products and goods.

One of the products that change the economy of morocco positively is the production of Argan oil. As we all know, the plant that gives this oil exists only in rare some places in morocco like Agadir and Essaouira, which is one of the factors that make from this oil a very expensive and demanded product. It makes Morocco the only country that has the exclusivity of exporting such an item.

The majority of countries are asking for this oil because its benefits are unlimited. The increase in the demand for Argan makes that kind of production very useful and profitable business as long as we still have this plant. The production of Argan oil has been taking place for centuries on small chalets and women have always done an extremely labor intensive and hard manual jobs to extract this plants oil, because the process of extracting this oil was and still not easy. Nowadays, Argan oil production has largely moved from the old method to a new one, and this development is helping to create a booming industry in the dry south-west of Morocco and giving a significant and important gift to the economy and source of revenue in the whole country. Now, Argan oil is a main component of most natural and organic cosmetics and self-care product; these products are sold in markets around the world.

Handicrafts in general are known to be hard in the process of production. That is why the cost of production was high in the last years, but now, the government is trying its best to reduce the cost by providing craftsmen machines in order to polish and prepare raw materials easily. The reduction of cost will automatically lead to an increase in the national.

Up to 40 businesses have been working on raw materials in morocco and sometimes abroad such as, wood, metal, cooper, wool and linen. Traditional clothes or accessories in morocco are normally produced in cities like Marrakech and Fez; others are produced in Agadir, Tangier, Essaouira and other cities. Those countries are well known by traditional production.

A handicraft is meant when there is nothing artificial in the product, which means that all the content is natural a hundred per cent. Handicrafts are practical things that can be used at homes or as items of daily clothing. This industry has developed with the development of tourism. It is important to note that the tourist plays a key role in the survival of this sector, as revenues from sales, especially in Souks (small markets), allowing many rural and poor families to live.

This sector is the second largest employer after agriculture, employing nearly 20% of the workforce in Morocco.

Morocco now has a special appeal to Moroccan traditional products. Speaking about technology, it has played a vital role in making these products look sophisticated by using new basic machines that make production easier than before, also providing new ideas linked to the design of the item. But this technology doesn't prevent these items from keeping the original and traditional value and look of a “home made” product.

But a problem that faces and threatens this field is that the handicraft sector in Morocco is in crisis and troubles. It suffers from the lack of organization and weak institutional management. No clear legal decision has been set up to regulate the problems facing this sector, resulting in a phenomenon of poor social conditions of artisans who do not know how to benefit from their jobs. These problems increase each single year.

Furthermore, even if cooperatives with the purpose of perpetuating traditions through training of craftsmen and workers have developed, this sector has a system of training and development which is so narrow and limited. For lack of information, artisans undervalue the impact they have on natural resources with poor utilization of raw materials and assets.

This sector suffers also from the competition. Because many entrants to crisis area like fishing for instance, they earn a living by influencing some kinds of handicrafts such as wood working. The real competition comes also from the Chinese production. Lately, we notice that there is a big challenge that morocco faces from china. When china has entered to Morocco, under forms of small marking selling Chinese product, they have switched to competing the national product by producing traditional clothes with lower price. For example, they started to produce traditional slippers (Cherbils) and Djelabas using low quality raw materials, and selling them at a very low price. This commerce that Chinese people do in our countries is damaging the national production, because when people have a rational choice about a product, there will be a division in the categories, because if there are people who care about the quality, there are also others that the look is more important than the quality. The development of Chinese economy will automatically cause a recession in our economy, because while china is making profit, we are loosing.

In order to increase international publicity and marketing for handicrafts, Moroccan government has opened a new department for marketing the sector of handicrafts. This new marketing strategy targets countries like the United States, countries of east including Russia and the Gulf countries which are, Emirate, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and others.

Exports handicrafts play a vital role in the improvement of the production and decrease of unemployment. In 1996, the volume of exports of handicrafts has been about 523 million DH; the carpet category represented 51% of the exports, than followed by the traditional clothing and pottery with 10.33% and 9.81% respectively.

The reputation of Moroccan craft objects exported abroad is deep-rooted in the double function of these products. These two functions are the beauty of the product and its usefulness at the same time. These two characteristics are always necessary for foreign consumers' more than Moroccan ones.

Moroccan handicraft and traditional production becomes an export product just like other normal product that Morocco exports to foreign countries. Some of those countries are Spain, France, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.




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takschita 2013


Marylin Monroe, Kahina, Marie Antoinette, Nefertiti, Oum Kalthoum, Coco Chanel and many other women who strongly influenced the history revived thanks to the genius of the Moroccan talent. This May 4, 2013, Marrakech hosted the 17th edition of one of the key events couture "caftan" where glamor, tradition and modernity, beauty and charisma were the watchwords of a breathtaking show. Momentum Moroccan creativity can only go hand in hand with maturity until Caftan reached after seventeen years of existence.



If the previous edition, Caftan we chose to dive into the world of the great traveler Ibn Battuta, this year it is the women who are legends in the spotlight. It must be said that this notion of travel is always present and with "Woman of Legend" which is the theme of this 17th edition, the designers are heavily inspired by the time when each of these women made history with their beauty, talent, strength and finesse. "These fascinating women wrote their fabulous or tragic in gold and sometimes blood. The woman is neither a complement of man, nor his half, the woman is society. It is a tribute to the idea that Caftan 2013 chose this theme offering to fashion an exciting and inexhaustible source of inspiration, "says Khalid Bazid, director of media group characters, also the conductor of caftan since 2007.
How could we imagine keys women like Marilyn Monroe, Coco Chanel and Marie Antoinette on a Moroccan caftan? The idea may seem more inconceivable, however, and extreme refinement, the Iron Ladies have been dressed in Moroccan caftan without the latter losing its authenticity. That is to say how this traditional dress can flirt with other civilizations and cultures without distorting be because this year, embroidery, beading, working Mâalem, overlays, wedding colors and fabrics are trendy.
They were 15 designers to play the game to give a real journey over time and to combine fantasy and glamor distant to contemporary trends. The result was to put it mildly stunning especially as the artistic director of this year's parade is none other than the great choreographer Malika Zaidi. Undisputed leader in the field of scenic and rhythmic delivery, Malika Zaidi has orchestrated the most prestigious international shows and has accompanied such stars as Puff Daddy, 5cts Germain Jackson, Keny West, Craig David, Gypsy King. His work is a marvel, the groom to see the large class inspired by the Moroccan caftan and glamorous theme of this edition is another.
So this year, the caravan Kaftan has chosen to make its 17th stop an unprecedented journey through time, offering the public to discover the magic of civilizations and characters whose soul was able to live each creation so classy, extremely subtle and elegant. It is this Moroccan style that has earned a reputation Caftan through the four corners of the world. This year, to see the genius and creativity of the young falls, bet more shine is undoubtedly won. One thing is for sure, this event is no longer just a parade where they showcases the delicacy and beauty of the Moroccan caftan, but it has become the benchmark for fine Moroccan fashion. It is now registered in the global agendas of haute couture. A true ode to elegance.



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Caftan dazzles fashion world


Caftan dazzles fashion world

MOROCCO - The ticket to this year's Caftan Festival was the gateway to the fashion event of the year.
Only the finest Haute Couture gowns were showcased, leaving all in attendance impressed.
The theme for this year's show was Women of Legend and paid homage to women like Coco Chanel and Marilyn Monroe.
Lebanese fashion designer Dany Atrache said: "Here we are talking of a traditional garment that is centuries old yet, it looks as new.
"It is not easy to reach this level of perfection."
Every year 15 fashion designers are selected from 50 candidates and are given four months to prepare their collection which needs to be made up of eight caftans.
And the pressure is on for the show's fashion designers.
"There are new creations as well as new ideas we want to propose to the public, and we are not sure about the reaction it'll get," said designer Meriyem Boussikouk.
The caftan is a garment that has been around for centuries.


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Caftan Moderne and Takchita 2013



Last weekend saw the opening of the 17th edition of Caftan, one of the most prestigious events in the traditional Moroccan haute couture scene. It is all over in only a couple of hours, but the work behind the glitz and glamour has taken months.

There is tremendous competition even before a single caftan glides down the catwalk. Only fifteen fashion designers are selected from the more than 50 who submitted their portfolios to the organizers. Once chosen, the designers have only four months to prepare a collection of eight caftans.  Then comes the tension of waiting to see how the critics react to the new designs.
 

Top fashion designer Meriyem Boussikouk from Casablanca (pictured left) has 20 years of experience in the industry. Yet she said she was still nervous about how the public would react to her new collection. “We have been nervous since we started preparing for the show, and our nerves grow as the event gets nearer, because we are not sure about ourselves 100 percent. There are new creations as well as new ideas we want to propose to the public, and we are not sure about the reaction (it’ll get). Will the public accept or reject what we offer?”

The theme chosen by this year’s event organizers, a Fashion magazine called FDM, or Femmes du Maroc, was “Women of Legend”. The designers were to be inspired by a variety of women who made history for a variety of reasons, such as Audrey Hepburn, Umm Kulthum, Cleopatra, Coco Chanel and Marilyn Monroe among others.
 

Khalid Bazizd, the show’s producer, said the goal was to pay tribute to these fascinating women who seemed to have had everything: beauty, power, talent, knowledge and glory. “We chose the theme of ‘Women of Legend’ because it inspires fashion designers. These women have always been full women (the embodiment of womanhood). In the Moroccan history, we took Kahina. We also chose Umm Kulthum, Marilyn Monroe and other women. The most important thing is that women are not there just to complement men. At the same time, we revisited the history of Morocco as well as the world’s history to put women up front. What can you find more beautiful than a caftan to showcase women?”
 
Designer Dany Atrache
Each edition of Caftan has a guest of honor, and this year it was the turn of the French-Lebanese designer Dany Atrache. “I came to Morocco to learn how Moroccans work on this traditional garment, because there is a lot of work involved in it and also it is made in a special way,” said Atrache. “We cannot call it a designer piece, because a designer piece is linked to fashion that changes every six months. Here, we are talking of a traditional garment that is centuries old, yet it looks as new. It is not easy to reach this level of perfection,” he added.
 

The audience was entertained by colourful dance sequences inspired by Coco Chanel, Marie Antoinette and Marilyn Monroe. The Choreographer was Moroccan Malika Zaidi. “I will show off all these women through choreography and acting. What strikes me most is the beauty. For me, all women are beautiful regardless of their shape. They could be tall, short or fat - they are always beautiful”.

Back in the days when I used to go ceremonies be it weddings, circumcision ceremony, engagements, or graduations, my favorite part was to compare women's caftans, the more beautiful the caftan, the sexier is the woman wearing it. My favorite ones are one-color caftans with amazing embroideries. It was always amusing to me to see how women scan each others caftans and then whisper critic or praise in their companions' ears.

There was always that woman who stands out from the crowd and who everyone devour with their eyes, those women knew how to invoke women's jealousy and envy and men's dream to have them.

The first question us men ask is : Is she married? Is she married? I know that I used my connections in the ceremony to get an answer.

Most of the time these women are not married and that is perhaps the reason they still look beautiful, let's face it, Marriage comes with a lots of stress and will eventually affect how we look.

I have seen many women who looked great before marriage to looking sad and distressed after marriage and especially after kids. The same hold true for men of course.

Lastly Kudos to those amazing tailors in Quartier Houbous in Casablanca (Aziz knew who am I taking about) who divide their time between smoking sabsi, bossing around small children spinning the thread and to producing magical caftans.

It is inconceivable that these tailors most of them men can produce such artsy beautiful things from a primitive work location. 


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Modern Moroccan Fashion







Traditional en Trendy Moroccan Fashion


Moroccan fashion involves traditional styles that were derived from some of the great north-west African civilizations. At present, fashion in Morocco is a fusion of the traditional outfits with western style. Moroccan dresses have achieved a good reputation, and several fashion designers from that country have won awards in various international fashion shows. The contemporary styles are based on sophistication as well as authenticity. Many women in the western world are getting attracted towards modern Moroccan clothes as they are chic and elegant. In Morocco, fashion of a person reflects his or her social standing. According to Moroccans, clothes provide an insight into the life of a person. So, most people in this country try to dress as well as possible. Modern Moroccan clothes are in demand among a large number of people who prefer contemporary designs with an old world charm. 

The traditional outfit of Morocco is known as djellaba. This is a loose gown with full sleeves and head cover. During any special occasion, Moroccan men wear caps which are called tarbouche. They wear flat slippers made of leather. These slippers are normally yellow in color and are known as baboosh. The djellaba worn by women is generally characterized by bright colors. They also contain ornamentation of embroidery and beads. These outfits can be quite expensive, but the style conscious men and women in Morocco are quite fond of these traditional clothes. These gowns are still extremely popular in this country in spite of the huge western influence. It is important to wear these dresses for religious or social events, wedding ceremonies and various festivals. Women also wear a special type of scarves.



Apart from the djellaba, another common garment among men in Morocco is the gandora. This outfit does not have long sleeves and hood like the djellaba. This dress is quite prestigious for men in the Moroccan Sahara. Along with this, they also wear a long turban made of cotton. 

In recent times, there have been lots of changes in Moroccan fashion that have caught the eyes of the Western customers. Nowadays, you can find the westernized versions of the Moroccan gowns. These modern kaftans are less clumsy and heavy and they do not have extra fabric. This helps in natural movements of the wearer. These sleek and lightweight gowns demonstrate the modernization of fashion in Morocco. These outfits are perfectly designed in different shapes, patterns and sizes in order to meet the requirements of the Moroccan men and women. The modern clothes are also made with fabrics of exceptional quality that are imported from different parts of the world. Tribal accessories are also used by the designers and manufacturers. These clothes are an excellent blend of modern day fashion and traditional style of Morocco.

The modern Moroccan fashion is a connection between values of the Moroccan people and the present day requirements and trends. This is executed to perfection by the designers of these outfits. Although the young generation in Morocco is embracing western fashion, the traditional clothes still occupy a major part in the fashion industry of that country.




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