Essaouira’s First Fashion Week Turns Historic Ramparts Into an Atlantic Runway
Moroccan and French designers brought contemporary fashion to Essaouira’s coastline as the inaugural event concluded with a celebration of craftsmanship and emerging talent.
Essaouira — Essaouira’s historic ramparts became an open-air runway on Saturday, November 7, as the city concluded its first Fashion Week with collections celebrating Moroccan craftsmanship and contemporary design.
Held on November 6 and 7, the inaugural edition brought together Moroccan and French designers, transforming two of the city’s most recognizable locations into spaces for fashion and cultural exchange.
Organizers reported strong public attendance throughout the event, which coincided with Morocco’s Unity Day celebrations and the 51st anniversary of the Green March.
The festivities began on Friday with a public parade along Essaouira’s beach, featuring equestrian and acrobatic performances.
The following evening, the spotlight shifted to the Skala de la Médina, where designers presented their collections against the Atlantic Ocean.
Moroccan carpets find a new life on the runway
Among the participating designers, French creator Louise Marcaud presented her contemporary approach to fashion, emphasizing craftsmanship and responsible production.
Her Paris-based label, launched in 2020, works with structured silhouettes, retro-futuristic influences, and fabrics recovered from unused fashion-house stocks.
Moroccan label Anouri Original, founded by Taroudant-born designer Mohamed Youss, offered another interpretation of sustainability.
The brand transforms traditional Moroccan carpets and recycled materials into contemporary clothing, giving familiar textiles new forms and functions.
The program also featured a collective presentation by Maison Mayad, Timendotes, and Kalhath Foundation.
Together, the designers explored the relationship between cultural heritage, artisanal techniques, and contemporary fashion.
The closing event welcomed several prominent guests, including André Azoulay, advisor to King Mohammed VI, and his wife.
Essaouira Municipal Council President Tarik El Otmani and Moroccan scientist Rachid Yazami also attended, alongside figures from the cultural and creative sectors.
Othman Chic wants fashion to create opportunities
Beyond the collections, the inaugural Fashion Week sought to establish a professional platform for young Moroccan and African creatives.
For Othman Chic, the event’s production director and founder of MegaLoft Essaouira, fashion represents an opportunity to encourage entrepreneurship and professional development.
“We want to encourage young people to dream, believe in their ambitions, and give themselves the means to achieve their goals,” Chic said in a statement to the press.
He emphasized the importance of giving emerging talents access to training, mentorship, and opportunities to develop their own projects.
“Our ambition is to make this gathering a genuine springboard toward employment and the realization of projects,” he added.
The event’s organizers hope to establish Essaouira Fashion Week as an annual gathering connecting designers, craftspeople, and fashion professionals across Morocco, Africa, and Europe.
The inaugural edition was organized in partnership with Mogador, City of Fashion Association, the French Institute, the French Embassy in Morocco, and the Euro-Mediterranean Young Leaders Forum.
Visitors can explore the initiative’s official website for further information.
With its first edition concluded, Essaouira Fashion Week has introduced another dimension to the city’s cultural calendar.
Its longer-term significance will depend on whether the connections made during these two days translate into sustained opportunities for the young designers and artisans the initiative aims to support.