So I arrived in Morocco on Sunday to start my residency and its has been a period of adjustment! I'm still looking in the wrong direction when crossing the road and thinking that a 10 Moroccan Dirham coin is the same as a 2 pound coin (it really isn't!). The city is, culturally, so different to anything I have experienced but equally as chaotic as every other city that I know, so at least there is an element of consistency in my environment.
Yesterday I went on a tour of the school and met its staff and students. In comparison to my own educational experience the difference was vast, mainly due to the number of students that are here. At Birmingham City University this years intake for fashion design alone was 160 students, whereas at the Casa Moda Academy, the first year group consists of less than 30. There is such a calming and quiet atmosphere that I am in no way familiar but could definitely get used to. The work space is light and open with enough room for the students creativity to be nurtured. I did take solace in the workshop, with the knowledge that it will probably be the only room here that I will be 100% confident in knowing what I am doing.
While I am settling in I wanted to share some of the designs that I have been working on in preparation to the trip. The concept behind my work is globalization and its effects on culture and tradition, I'm still working on a tittle! I feel that this will create an interesting balance between colour, silhouette, texture and detail... I'll keep you posted!
