Made by Afous: Walking the Weft of Morocco

Some places change you. For Daniela Gallenti, that place was Morocco. “It was love at first sight,” she says, recalling her first visit in 2014. “It touched my heart in ways I hadn’t imagined.” What began with a few vintage rugs carried home in a suitcase has since become Made by Afous - a thoughtful, ever-evolving collaboration with Berber artisans rooted in trust, shared purpose, and a reverence for handcraft.

Meaning "hand" in Berber, Afous stands for everything Gallenti values: humanity, cooperation, and craftsmanship. Raised in Sicily and always a curious traveller, Gallenti’s path took her across Yemen, Egypt, and Argentina before Morocco cast its spell. “The colours, the symbols woven into cloth since prehistoric times, the spontaneity of the designs - they all fascinated me,” she says. Over time, what began as collecting became a deep and mutual connection with the weavers themselves. “I usually travel alone,” she adds. “It opens you up. People are more inclined to welcome you in, to share their world.”

Berber rug, available from Made by Afous.

Gallenti primarily works with the Aït Ouaouzguite tribe in the Siroua Mountains, where women have passed weaving skills from mother to daughter for generations. These remote regions - nestled between the High and Anti-Atlas ranges - produce rugs alive with symbolism and spirit. Woven on vertical looms, Berber rugs evolve instinctively, without sketches or rigid plans. “The weavers don’t see the finished part of the rug as they work as they’re creating from memory, from intuition,” Gallenti explains. “That’s what gives these rugs their visual energy.”...

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Image Credits:

All images courtesy of Daniela Gallenti, Made by Afous.