New Fashion in the El Fenn Boutique

Discovering new talent in Morocco is one of the – many – things we love about having our in-house boutique. This month, we spotlight two makers whose products are available exclusively in Morocco at El Fenn.

 

CLARAMONTE

With backgrounds in luxury fashion and product design, and a passion for Moroccan artisanal skills, it made sense for Pierre Gionnet and Philippe Betrand to create an accessories line that fused textural, sculptural and handmade elements. They launched Claramonte in 2005, soon gained a cult following in Japanese concept stores and five years later expanded wholesale to stores in Europe, Australia and the US. In 2022, they added women’s fashion to the range. Now El Fenn is delighted to be the sole Moroccan stockist of Claramonte’s beautiful pieces.

 

With a background in luxury fashion, Philippe had worked for names including renowned trend forecaster Li Edelkoort and designer Jean Paul Gaultier before designing his first Claramonte range. He partnered with Pierre, who had worked for leading French design studio Tse and Tse Associates. 

 

Working with leather artisans and traditional tailors, they’ve pushed the boundaries of artisanal techniques to combine new forms with ancestral craftsmanship. Everything is made in Marrakech and their Spring/Summer 24 collection for instance features bags including totes and clutches in colours ranging from tonal shades of lilac, lemon and mint green to metallics. This season also includes gorgeous separates including soft cotton toile shirts, striped cotton boucle shorts and linen kaftans in sorbet colours.     

 

‘Our fashion pieces in particular really embody travel for us,’ says Pierre. ‘We love volume, pleats and the lightest luxury fabrics such as cotton from Japan and linen from Belgium.

 

‘But the soul of the brand is always about reinterpreting traditional elements so our fashion pieces often contain elements like hand embroidery or crochet, while the weave used in our bags is unique to Morocco. 

 

‘It creates a soulful feel that people can sense. They know it’s personal. For us, handmade work is like a touch of magic.’

 

MADEMOISELLE SAHANA

Design had always been part of Valerie di Franco’s life. But after a successful career working as an interior decorator with her husband in France, the couple moved to Morocco planning to retire. Six months later however, the pandemic started and Valerie? She had time on her hands. Locked down at home and inspired by the artisan culture here, she decided to see what, if anything, she could create. Taking some wide silk embroidered ribbon she’d bought on her travels to India, she customised a Moroccan basket. And that, she thought, would be it. 

 

But when lockdown ended and Valerie started travelling again, people kept asking her about her bag. She decided to buy 100 more baskets, customise them and see if she could sell them. Soon, by word of mouth via family and friends, a new business was born. Fast forward four years and the Mademoiselle Sahana range now includes baskets worked with leather, macrame bags, cotton totes and belts, as well as hand embroidered dresses in silk and poplin and accessories made of cactus silk. 

 

‘My creativity feels recharged here in Morocco,’ says Valerie. ‘The artisanal culture is fascinating and I adore the souk of course but for me it’s about the Moroccan people and the feeling I’ve found here. It’s a really circular process: you give, and the artisans give.

 

‘I’ve had the time to sit down, talk with people, find out their story and it’s what inspires me. It’s not just the product, it’s about the people and the story here. India has my heart and now Morocco too.’

 

Mademoiselle Sahana is available exclusively at El Fenn.