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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