Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Textiles
Anything not nailed down in Morocco is likely to be woven, sewn or embroidered - and
even then, it might be upholstered. Moroccan women are the under-recognised
mâalem
s
of Moroccan textiles, and the tradition they've established has recently helped attract
emerging fashion enterprises and global brands to Morocco. One-third of Moroccan wo-
men are employed in Morocco's industrial garment industry, but for meticulous handi-
work with individual flair, check out traditional textile handicrafts.
Embroidery
Moroccan stitchery ranges from simple Berber designs to minutely detailed
terz Fezzi,
the
elaborate nature-inspired patterns stitched in blue upon white linen that women in Fez tra-
ditionally spend years mastering for their dowries. Rabati embroidery is a riot of colour,
with bold, graphic flowers in one or two colours of silk thread that almost completely ob-
scures the plain-cotton backing. But the ladies of Salé also deserve their due for their
striking embroidery in one or two bold colours along the borders of crisp white linen.
Passementerie
What's that guy doing with a blow-dryer and silk thread down a medina side alley? That
would be a
passementerie
(trims)
mâalem
at work, using a repurposed blow-dryer to spin
thread from a nail stuck in the wall until it's the perfect width and length to make into
knotted buttons, silken tassels and snappy jellaba trim. In a cupboard-sized Moroccan
passementerie
shop, you'll find enough gold braid to decorate an army of generals and
more tassels than a burlesque troupe could spin in a lifetime - but you'll also find a jack-
pot of small, portable gifts. Moroccan
mâalems
have made a stand-alone art of trimming,
wrapping wire and washers with silk thread to create mod statement necklaces, napkin-
ring holders, knotted keychains and curtain-pulls.
Felt
Handmade felt hats, slippers, coats, pillows, bags or floor coverings really put wool
through the wringer: it's dyed, boiled and literally beaten to a pulp. Instead of being
woven or sewn, felt is usually pounded with
savon noir
(natural palm soap), formed into
the intended shape on a mould and allowed to dry gradually to hold its shape. Felt makers
are usually found in the wool souq in major cities.
