Icons and designers

Threads of Morocco: Inside Jalal’s World of Fabric and Tradition

“ To visit Morocco is still like turning the pages of some illuminated Persian manuscript all embroidered with bright shapes and subtle lines.” Edith Wharton

The above quote, though written in 1920, is still today an apt description of Morocco and especially, Marrakech. I return as often as possible to experience the seduction of this diverse and exotic country. This trip offered the added bonus of meeting a talented young fashion designer, Mohsin Jalal.

Jalal, as both he and his shop are known, was born into a family of fabric specialists. As he says, he spent his childhood “playing in fabrics,” learning their individual qualities of drape, weight and shaping characteristics.
His father, a traditional, nomadic merchant, encouraged Jalal’s interest and his mother, a Berber, shared her specialized knowledge of fabric history and production unique to the Berber community.

Jalal continued his education by attending the National Fabric School in Casablanca. Steeped in traditional Moroccan fabric and clothing, Jalal nevertheless experimented with more modern approaches to dress. He began with the “Djebella” (aka “Djellaba”), a long, loose-fitting robe typically made of cotton or wool and worn for centuries by Berbers (and Arabs) as protection against the intense sun and cold. It featured a long, triangular hood that reached below the mid-back. While this style was efficient for nomadic tribes, Jalal believed that a shorter version would be more practical and popular for urban living, so for his graduation project he submitted a 3/4 length version. It is, in fact, a popular style now but it was a radical view at the time. His forward thinking impressed his professors and he was awarded his degree in design.

After graduating, Jalal, spent twelve years at the prestigious Maison du Caftan as a designer and salesperson. Creative impulses and personal ambition compelled him to establish his own shop. As fate would have it, he found the perfect location (a former laundry!) in the souks in January 2020 – just before Covid. However, the ensuing lockdown afforded him time to design the shop himself and in March 2022 he opened to great acclaim by locals and tourists alike.

Jalal’s family background serves him well. He sources Berber fabrics, especially a silk-wool blend called “Bzioui.” His knowledge and love of fabrics is obvious and infectious. ” This extremely fine fabric, created by hand on a traditional loom, is referred to as the “Royal fabric” as it is worn almost exclusively by the King. His sense of color is also very developed and all his brilliantly colored garments are created using natural dyes from plants and minerals.

In addition to Bzioui, Jalal also designs using silks, cotton, velvets and cashmere. Unfurling his pashminas and scarves, one wonders if he will part with them, so obvious is his pride and pleasure. In the end he must part with them, if only to be able to create more. In fact, a suggestion on my part set off an enthusiastic response and he promised to send me the first prototype — I can hardly wait!