Fes

The first thing that struck me about Fes is how old the city is. There is a strong sense of tradition here and a historic way of life that never really changes. I love walking through the Medina! There is no knowing what you might find through the small doorways and alleys. My, sometimes, short attention span feeds of this environment however, the Medina was not made for the clumsy, I have had a few knocks and close calls with donkeys. Full spatial awareness is key to survival in the narrow streets as you never know when you will suddenly be faced with a motorbike or some form of large animal. 

In the artisan district, there are many little pockets of the Medina where you will find small shops with a traditional loom tucked up in the corner. Here shop workers hand weave fabric for scarf's and throws which are then displayed in meticulously folded columns of colour and texture. The artisans behind the loom expect to finish around 2 metres per day which is more or less the equivalent of 2 scarf's. I wanted to commission someone to create me a piece for my collection however I would have to change so much of the fabric that I had already purchased, looks like it will just be a scarf for me. 

One of the purposes of our trip to Fes was to find an artisan who could produce some metal work for the collection. There were so many skilled craftsman to work with however I found mine by chance. In a small dress shop we met a woman who sews clothing for a living. On her shelves I found a variety of belts made of gold metal that were produced in a workshop in the market. I had to get one made to size so her son led us through the market and up to a workshop on the roof of a house. Here the artisan said that he would make my belt to size and also took on my order of 120 charms to be made for the collection. We made a deal that her would charge me a fair price if I told people in the UK that not all Moroccans want to overcharge Europeans for their trade, so this is me keeping my end of the deal.

After placing my order with the artisan, my next task was to find leather. Where better to start then the Tanneries. There is no way of seeing the area until you are literally over the top of it on a balcony where shop owners utilise the space to sell all manner of leather goods at high prices to tourists. The smell is very overpowering at first, I'm pretty sure my face pulled some unattractive expressions while I was getting used to it. The work that the men were doing below looked hard, especially on the body. Without any protective clothing there were some unnaturally coloured limbs moving around in the area. 

Diamonds in the Rough

At the weekend I was asked to give a presentation on my work and experiences as a fashion student.The audience was made up of students, teachers, industry and hobbyists from the school and surrounding areas. This was again another challenge this trip has provided me to overcome. I have never thought of myself as a good public speaker but this actually went really well which was such a confidence boost. It also felt good to be able to do something good for the school and as they have been so accommodating to host me for my stay and give me office and studio space.

               

I travelled with Joseph to Rabat to stay with Sylvie Billaudeau and her family in their villa by the sea which showed me a completely new side to Morocco. In comparison to Casablanca my, even though very short, experiences of Rabat have given me the impression that it is a more peaceful place however, my judgement only comes from the three markets and the train station that I visited there. The coast reminded me of a place in Devon where we take our family holiday every year so I felt very comforted as soon as the sea came into view. Here there is a huge fish trade, there are fishermen across the entire coast line who sell their catches at market or even on the side of the road still on the hook.

We visited two markets while in Rabat, the first was similar to what I had experienced in Casablanca, very traditional and very busy. You have to completely let go of any 'British politeness' and stand your ground against invasion of personal space and chance to keep with the group your in. The second that we visited was a Moroccan equivalent of a flea market set out in trademark narrow streets with the occasional motorbike trying to push its way through the crowd. Amongst all the used artefacts we came across two old Singer and Elena sewing machines, I think I would have taken the time to haggle one of these to a good price if only my luggage allowance would have also agreed with the purchase.

This Market, like many I have seen, is about finding the diamond in the rough, a little like shopping a TK Maxx but the complete opposite in culture, tradition and atmosphere. The fabric shops here are extensive! Every inch of available space is dedicated to showing as much variety of fabric as possible. In some shops owner's didn't care if you physically climbed all over their stock to reach the piece you had your eye on. My collection swatch book has grown since my visit so it have been a very productive yet relaxing trip.

I Miss the Internet!

I am living a land that is always loading, buffering or apologetic for its failing to upload! Its strange how much I now rely on the web to keep my work up to speed with my day. I'm sure that I'm going to have difficulty with this post but if you are reading it, it means I finally got there in the end!

This is just one other way of life that I am getting used to. Over the last few days I have been looking high and low around Casablanca to find fabrics for my collection. With the help Joseph Ouechen, who has been showing me the ropes of the city, I have been able to find some amazing places. Firstly being the markets deep in the Medina, tourists are uncommon here so it was a real privilege to be able to visit and witness the comings and goings of its residents. Down small streets lined with old, hand powered, singer sewing machines which were all operated by women sewing traditional clothing. I couldn't help but feel as though I was slightly encroaching on their territory as this is their life and their own bubble of civilization. The fabrics in the main market are sold in small pieces which are mainly the remnants from textile manufacturers. The entire surface of the street is covered in fabrics which makes it difficult to distinguish between stalls but, you are soon made fully aware of the owner if you hover too long around their goods. Some of them definitely care about their stall more than others as the fabrics are either perfectly folded and colour coordinated where others are just huge piles of fabric that are thrown in all directions. There are men in the market who hand spin rope in all different colours and thickness's which is then sold as intricate decoration. They have a special machine for doing good this which looks a little like a pasta machine. It wasn't appropriate to take photos of this area so you will have to take my work for it that it was amazing! Joseph did manage to sneak one in as we were walking though...

The sheer amount of fabric shops and the options that comes with that puts Shepard's Bush, Berwick St and the Birmingham Rag market to complete shame. The only difference is that there is no way you will find any neoprene or rip stop knocking about in the backstreet's of Casablanca's Medina's.  I have to say its a lot to take in all at once but as soon as you settle into it, it gets better! I'ts the first time that I have ever been fabric shopping and felt confident that I will be able to find everything that I'll need. Pretty much all fabric is sold in 2-2.5 metre lengths which is difficult to get your head around while working to a budget in an unfamiliar currency. This is because most people out here by fabric to make Jiliaba's which is a traditional style of  full length dress that would need this length to make. When you start to realise the equivalent cost in sterling it is always a happy moment as everything is a lot more cost effective to what I know. If only I could have sourced fabrics from here for my Graduate collection, the £5,500 of debt that I'm in for it may have been a lot less at this point!!

So after my first few days sourcing ^^^ this is what I have come up with ^^^ Its very feminine for me which came as quite a shock, I have never worked with a floral before. There is still so much to see and do before I make my final choices but I have belief that this is the right way to go. I've been trying to trust my instincts more and have the confidence to go all in on a decision but, this is made much easier here by the average price and knowing I can afford to make mistakes. 

The aim of  my collection is to incorporate traditional Moroccan craft in contemporary ways. I have chosen to work with metal and I hope to work with artisans in Fez. My vision is to  commission enlarged Moroccan pendants that I will sew into the garments. During the fabric sourcing I was also able , through Joseph, to find out about how the artisans work and rough ideas for price size and  quality. I want to share a few of my findings which are the pictures below...  

Day One

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! 

  

Fashion Scout Graduate Showcase

So its post Graduate Showcase and my cheeks still hurt from smiling but I couldn't be happier! 

In the vestibule of Freemasons Hall Fashion Scout created an event and atmosphere that completely complimented the work on show. The experience was an amazing opportunity to interact with the industry and get the valuable feedback that is needed for any young designer. Everyone that I had chance to speak to was so enthusiastic and extremely complimentary which has left me with a massive buzz! 

The main topic of discussion was around answering the question  "So... What's next for you?" which has made me very excited for the future. After having a much needed rest after my final year at BCU yesterday has given me the wave of motivation I needed to start picking up my work load and get ready for the fast approaching trip to Morocco. I am currently in the process of creating a pre-collection so check back for more on that!

The event was such a great opportunity to meet like-minded Graduates that made up the show with 10 incredible collections from... 

Anita Hirlekar from CSM, Camilla Grimes from Manchester School of Art, Charlotte Knowles from LCF, Emma Hardstaff from the RCA, Grace Weller from Bath Spa, James Kelly from the RCA, Luke Bullen from LCF, Ondrej Adamek from CSM, Rebecca Swann from Nottingham Trent and Quoi Alexander from CSM.

The selection panel for the showcase did an amazing job at curating such a diverse range of work, catering for all tastes and viewpoints.

Thanks to Fashion Scout for the support!