Mehdi wears embroidered organza shirt by Jane Eglington. Grey shirt model's own.

JANE EGLINGTON – MOROCCAN PHOTO STORY

KALTBLUT presents: Jane Eglington´s Moroccan photo story. Jane Eglington is a fashion designer currently based in Ireland. ” I studied fashion design at the Limerick School of Art and Design in Ireland. My graduate collection was inspired by a period of time spent previously in Morocco. I recently traveled back to Morocco on my own to photograph pieces from my graduate collection on Moroccan people of all ages in Marrakesh and Essaouira. I’d love to get some of these resulting photos published online, before I publish them myself on my own social media. ” Models are Mehdi, Mustafa, Ibrahima, Khadija, Bouchra, Ayoub and Melouda who were all street-cast in Marrakesh and Essaouira. Fashion is by Jane Eglington, styled with models.

Bouchra wears brocade dress by Jane Eglington. Floral under dress from the Souk, Marrakesh.

“The first people I met on the streets of Marrakesh were Mohamed, Mustafa and Mehdi. These three humorous men were part of a group of chariot pushers. Their work base is just off the main square in Marrakesh, and they transport anything from foodstuffs to tourist luggage. Every day these men sit in the same place from the early morning until dark, as they don’t get inundated with business. They don’t take weekly days off. I approached them because their work base resembled an art installation; it was beautifully chaotic, and undoubtedly artfully considered. Mustafa in particular was responsible for the base’s aesthetic appeal. He had even sewn his own bag that he was wearing. He was too humble, but his friends proudly divulged this information. Mehdi, the youngest of the group, had just returned from the barber with a fresh design shaved into the side of his head. All photos of him were taken from that side. This friend group were open, fun-loving, and creative. Everyone came together with ideas that yielded some lovely candid photographs of what was quite an a-typical day.

Mustafa wears brocade coat by Jane Eglington. Wool hat model’s own.
youb wears brocade skirt by Jane Eglington. Jumper, jeans and flip flops model’s own.
Ibrahima carries all clothing by Jane Eglington. Baseball cap, t-shirt, trousers and sandals model’s own.
All clothing by Jane Eglington.
Brocade dress by Jane Eglington.

It was Mohamed, one of the chariot pushers based off the main square, who introduced me to two animated women; Khadija and her daughter Bouchra. They invited me into their beautiful home, which was deep in the maze of the Medina. There was an abundance of feminine flowers and florals everywhere inside, which made for a congruous backdrop to the floral pieces that they were wearing. Khadija had assumed that it was just going to be her young daughter Bouchra, who would be modelling. The family explained that Bouchra was the family princess – a role she assumed and executed with insouciance and poise. Khadija her mother was humbled and excited that she herself was also going to model. All of the family watched on from the door as the girls posed in their living room.

I was on the port of Essaouira, a windy city on the Atlantic coast of North Africa, when I met Ayoub. Ayoub is a Gnaoua musician and vocalist, and he plays with local Gnaoua bands. Gnaoua is the religious, spiritual music that bases its history with formerly enslaved sub-Saharan Africans who integrated into the Moroccan cultural and social landscape. It is a fascinating combination of music, poetry and dancing. Interestingly, Ayoub had been to Ireland before. In fact, he has travelled extensively with his musical talent. He told me that he was offered a Scholarship to study music in Berkeley California, but that he sadly couldn’t pursue this purely down to visa complications.

Melouda wears embroidered organza shirt by Jane Eglington. Haik veil, outfit, gloves and shoes model’s own.

I met Melouda outside the main bus station in Essaouira. Melouda was dressed in traditional Haik. The Haik is a traditional woman’s garment (usually but not always white) that is worn in the Maghreb region. Essaouira is one of the few cities where women can still be seen walking around the streets in Haik. It is a tradition of dress that is being lost with time, so it was very interesting to see my clothes paired with a traditional Haik garment. Melouda confidently and dramatically circled the area outside the bus station where we met, beautifully exhibiting an embroidered organza shirt of mine. All of these photos candidly reflect the kind, open minded and animated nature of Moroccan people, and the colourful environment that they live in.”

Bouchra wears embroidered organza shirt by Jane Eglington. Green hooded djellaba from the Souk, Marrakesh.
Khadija wears brocade dress by Jane Eglington. Floral under dress from the Souk, Marrakesh. Head scarf, socks and shoes model’s own.

Creative Direction and Photography by Jane Eglington / Instagram: @janeeglington 

Models are Mehdi, Mustafa, Ibrahima, Khadija, Bouchra, Ayoub and Melouda who were all street-cast in Marrakesh and Essaouira. Fashion is by Jane Eglington, styled with models