The Crafts of Sara Chraïbi
Sara Chraïbi, Founder of Maison Sara Chraïbi blends Moroccan heritage with contemporary designs.
Growing up in Morocco, Sara Chraïbi was always inspired by the crafts and skills of her older family members. “I came from a family of women who used to make embroidery. We usually see these beautiful women wearing beautiful silk dresses. They were these strong and bold women.” She told The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode earlier this year. The designer was officially welcomed to Paris Haute Couture Week by the governing body for the French fashion industry in January 2023, consequently presenting her Spring/Summer 2023 Haute Couture collection on the global stage and becoming the only current Moroccan designer to do so.
But, despite her fascination with Moroccan crafts, Chraïbi hasn’t always followed a career in fashion design. A trained architect, she moved from her native country of Morocco to further this path. She soon realised her desire to explore further her love for fashion and her wish to showcase the beauty of traditional Moroccan craftsmanship through her designs.
After working in Paris for several years, Chraïbi returned home to Morocco and started her own fashion label in 2012. Remembering the crafts from her childhood, Chraïbi realised that she wanted to create garments that would celebrate the traditional techniques used in garments for generations yet find a way to make them relevant for today. “This feminine legacy is something very important for me.” She said.
With the unique blend of her heritage and her background in architectural design, Chraïbi was able to combine two worlds, seamlessly blurring the lines between old and new, tradition and innovation, sharp lines and decorated details. “My work is deeply rooted in Moroccan tradition. I see it also as an authentic innovation. When I work with artisans on embroidery, for example, it’s never doing it like it is in Moroccan. Tradition but rethinking it as a contemporary craftsmanship.” Chraïbi explained in the 2023 interview.
In January of this year, Chraïbi presented her Spring/Summer 2023 collection at Paris Fashion Week as part of the official Haute Couture calendar. The collection saw her highlight traditional techniques in a fresh, modern way. “With my work, I take patterns, shapes and ancient techniques from Morocco, but I add a certain twist or reinvent them in a new way,” Chraibi told A&E Magazine in an interview earlier this year. “For example, I used the “sfifa” weaving technique to create a fabric rather than using it as an ornament, as is done traditionally. I mixed raw materials from Morocco, and I used golden thread and silk fringe to build garments as a link between two cultures and realities. I see traditional craftsmanship both as an inspiration and a call to innovation.” Sfifa is a typical Moroccan braiding technique often used to edge garments or decorate shoes and accessories. Chraïbi combined clean lines with this delicate detail to offer a creative edge to her garments.
The collection was celebrated by fashion insiders across the globe, fascinated by the designer’s ability to turn traditional techniques and materials into something so much more contemporary. “We usually see these beautiful women wearing beautiful silk dresses. They were these strong and bold women.” One of the key items of Chraïbi’s collections is the traditional Moroccan kaftan, an ancestral tradition, a ritual that is passed down from mother to daughter and one that Chraïbi remembers clearly from her childhood. The designer reinvents this key item in many ways, adding contemporary twists on the traditional design, often presenting it in silk, adorned with beads, crystals, pearls and embroidery.
Chraïbi’s debut Haute Couture collection was recently followed up with the Fall/Winter 2023 offering which was showcased in Paris this July. The “L’envol D’al Buraq” collection featured sculptural, graphic silhouettes offset by delicate embroidery and metallic details, with models having an almost-regal appearance as they walked the runway. Chraïbi was inspired by the Buraq, a magical horse from Islamic tradition, which symbolises strength and power, the same values she aims to promote in the women she dresses.
She once again paid homage to the craftsmanship of her native country. This season, Chraïbi worked with ‘sabra’ a silk thread derived from aloe vera plants, which is often used in Moroccan passementerie, a woven detail usually found on caftans or other garments. This delicate thread while difficult to work with, offers a sheer finish to the details of the caftans, allowing them to shine. “It was for me a challenge to write something about Moroccan luxury as a concept.” She told The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. The story of Moroccan crafts is deeply rooted in the history of the North African country. From the indigenous Berber tribes of the North to the handmade leather goods of Fez and the southern region. There is so much more of this fascinating culture to discover, and Chraïbi vows to continue sharing it with the world in this new, wearable way.
Across the world, traditional arts and crafts continue to be imperative within their communities, but it is rare to see old-age techniques on the global stage. That could however all be about to change as the shift towards traditional crafts is slowly but surely returning within the mainstream fashion industry today. Many brands have been re-evaluating the importance of handmade products and locally sourced materials. Not only does it give livelihood to men and women in these communities, it also sheds light on the highly skilled artisans who are experts in their field, something that the world needs to continue to support and appreciate. Designers like Sara Chraïbi are working to keep these beautiful crafts alive and shine a light on their beauty, as well as the incredible skills of those who create them.
Text by Lindsay Judge
Find out more;
www.maisonsarachraibi.com
@maisonsarachraibi
Growing up in Morocco, Sara Chraïbi was always inspired by the crafts and skills of her older family members. “I came from a family of women who used to make embroidery. We usually see these beautiful women wearing beautiful silk dresses. They were these strong and bold women.” She told The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode earlier this year. The designer was officially welcomed to Paris Haute Couture Week by the governing body for the French fashion industry in January 2023, consequently presenting her Spring/Summer 2023 Haute Couture collection on the global stage and becoming the only current Moroccan designer to do so.
But, despite her fascination with Moroccan crafts, Chraïbi hasn’t always followed a career in fashion design. A trained architect, she moved from her native country of Morocco to further this path. She soon realised her desire to explore further her love for fashion and her wish to showcase the beauty of traditional Moroccan craftsmanship through her designs.
After working in Paris for several years, Chraïbi returned home to Morocco and started her own fashion label in 2012. Remembering the crafts from her childhood, Chraïbi realised that she wanted to create garments that would celebrate the traditional techniques used in garments for generations yet find a way to make them relevant for today. “This feminine legacy is something very important for me.” She said.
With the unique blend of her heritage and her background in architectural design, Chraïbi was able to combine two worlds, seamlessly blurring the lines between old and new, tradition and innovation, sharp lines and decorated details. “My work is deeply rooted in Moroccan tradition. I see it also as an authentic innovation. When I work with artisans on embroidery, for example, it’s never doing it like it is in Moroccan. Tradition but rethinking it as a contemporary craftsmanship.” Chraïbi explained in the 2023 interview.
In January of this year, Chraïbi presented her Spring/Summer 2023 collection at Paris Fashion Week as part of the official Haute Couture calendar. The collection saw her highlight traditional techniques in a fresh, modern way. “With my work, I take patterns, shapes and ancient techniques from Morocco, but I add a certain twist or reinvent them in a new way,” Chraibi told A&E Magazine in an interview earlier this year. “For example, I used the “sfifa” weaving technique to create a fabric rather than using it as an ornament, as is done traditionally. I mixed raw materials from Morocco, and I used golden thread and silk fringe to build garments as a link between two cultures and realities. I see traditional craftsmanship both as an inspiration and a call to innovation.” Sfifa is a typical Moroccan braiding technique often used to edge garments or decorate shoes and accessories. Chraïbi combined clean lines with this delicate detail to offer a creative edge to her garments.
The collection was celebrated by fashion insiders across the globe, fascinated by the designer’s ability to turn traditional techniques and materials into something so much more contemporary. “We usually see these beautiful women wearing beautiful silk dresses. They were these strong and bold women.” One of the key items of Chraïbi’s collections is the traditional Moroccan kaftan, an ancestral tradition, a ritual that is passed down from mother to daughter and one that Chraïbi remembers clearly from her childhood. The designer reinvents this key item in many ways, adding contemporary twists on the traditional design, often presenting it in silk, adorned with beads, crystals, pearls and embroidery.
Chraïbi’s debut Haute Couture collection was recently followed up with the Fall/Winter 2023 offering which was showcased in Paris this July. The “L’envol D’al Buraq” collection featured sculptural, graphic silhouettes offset by delicate embroidery and metallic details, with models having an almost-regal appearance as they walked the runway. Chraïbi was inspired by the Buraq, a magical horse from Islamic tradition, which symbolises strength and power, the same values she aims to promote in the women she dresses.
She once again paid homage to the craftsmanship of her native country. This season, Chraïbi worked with ‘sabra’ a silk thread derived from aloe vera plants, which is often used in Moroccan passementerie, a woven detail usually found on caftans or other garments. This delicate thread while difficult to work with, offers a sheer finish to the details of the caftans, allowing them to shine. “It was for me a challenge to write something about Moroccan luxury as a concept.” She told The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. The story of Moroccan crafts is deeply rooted in the history of the North African country. From the indigenous Berber tribes of the North to the handmade leather goods of Fez and the southern region. There is so much more of this fascinating culture to discover, and Chraïbi vows to continue sharing it with the world in this new, wearable way.
Across the world, traditional arts and crafts continue to be imperative within their communities, but it is rare to see old-age techniques on the global stage. That could however all be about to change as the shift towards traditional crafts is slowly but surely returning within the mainstream fashion industry today. Many brands have been re-evaluating the importance of handmade products and locally sourced materials. Not only does it give livelihood to men and women in these communities, it also sheds light on the highly skilled artisans who are experts in their field, something that the world needs to continue to support and appreciate. Designers like Sara Chraïbi are working to keep these beautiful crafts alive and shine a light on their beauty, as well as the incredible skills of those who create them.
Text by Lindsay Judge
Find out more;
www.maisonsarachraibi.com
@maisonsarachraibi