Rabat – Moroccan designer Imane Belmkaddem and her mother, painter Fatima El Hajjaji, presented their “Soul of Morocco” caftan collection at World Designers Fashion Week Astana in Kazakhstan, placing Moroccan craftsmanship and visual art before an international audience.
Created exclusively for the event, the collection draws inspiration from Morocco’s landscapes, architecture, and cultural traditions. It translates El Hajjaji’s paintings into caftans and coats that combine traditional Moroccan textiles with contemporary design.
From the Sahara and its women to the geometric patterns of zellige, the collection draws on familiar elements of Moroccan identity.
The designs also evoke the kasbahs of the Atlas Mountains, the blue alleyways of Chefchaouen, the Menara Gardens in Marrakech, Essaouira’s Gnaoua heritage, and the energy of fantasia.
Art and fashion tell Morocco’s story
The presentation attracted Moroccan Ambassador to Kazakhstan Mohammed Rachid Maaninou, former Kazakh Ambassador to Morocco Saulekul Sailaukyzy, and representatives of the Kazakh government and cultural sector.
Beyond the runway, the event created an opportunity to strengthen cultural ties between Morocco and Kazakhstan.
Through fashion and painting, Belmkaddem and El Hajjaji offered an artistic interpretation of Moroccan heritage while opening the door to further exchanges between the two countries.
Visit Astana, the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, Creative Forum, Qazaq Creative, and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture supported the event, which also aims to encourage collaboration between Moroccan and Kazakh designers.
The collection’s presentation in Astana adds another international stop to Belmkaddem’s work at the intersection of fashion, art, and cultural exchange. It also places the Moroccan caftan in a new context, allowing a traditional garment to tell its story through contemporary artistic expression.
From Astana to Rabat and Stockholm
The exchange may continue in Morocco, where Kazakh designers could take part in Rabat Fashion Week from December 9 to 13. Their participation remains a possibility, with the final calendar still to be confirmed.
Stockholm is also on the horizon, with potential meetings there offering another opportunity to explore future collaborations. Together, these plans point to further encounters between Moroccan and Kazakh creatives, extending the conversation beyond the collection’s presentation in Astana.
For now, “Soul of Morocco” places the caftan at the meeting point of two artistic practices: Belmkaddem’s fashion design and El Hajjaji’s painting. Their collaboration has the garment carry familiar Moroccan imagery into an international setting, allowing the country’s landscapes, craftsmanship, and cultural traditions to speak through art and design.
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