Zoubida by Sophia Kacimi

Celebrating the launch of British Moroccan Fashion Label Zoubida. The brainchild of French-Moroccan creative director Sophia Kacimi, Zoubida is a quirky and playful fashion and lifestyle label rooted in Morocco and based in London. Drawing attention to the capital’s status as an incubator of multicultural style and fashion subcultures, the newly launched brand offers limited-edition pieces ranging from bright unisex art-to-wear creations to kitsch accessories for the home.

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Striving to break the rules of fast fashion, codified style and gender barriers, Zoubida’s unexpected pieces are made in Morocco by talented craftswomen and men, with local textiles personally sourced from surplus stock from markets by Kacimi.

The rich jacquard upholstery fabrics with bold colour palettes, called Tlamt in Morocco and used traditionally to decorate and embellish houses, are the starting point for Zoubida’s creative process. Pushing the boundaries of creativity, Kacimi reinterprets these bold, textured and vibrant patterns of traditional Moroccan upholstery in unexpected ways to create her clothing line.

Kacimi’s sustainable designs with contemporary shapes focus on colour and quality and are inspired by Morocco’s inexhaustible joie de vivre and visual heritage. Every piece tells its own story, blending together Kacimi’s Moroccan identity with a contemporary twist, combining culture and her eccentric style. Named after her grandmother, the oversized Kenza jacket is Kacimi’s first creation for the brand. Available in limited editions of 2 or 3 pieces, in various sizes and colours, each jacket is handsewn by artisans in Rabat with Brocard upholstery fabrics, a compact textile composed of cotton and chenille blend. Other statement pieces include the Chiki skirt and the Jamâal top with androgynous and boldly sculptural forms. The Gnawa bags are hand-embroidered with quirky beads and shells by Gnawa musician Mâalem Ahmed Dkaki in Fez.

Celebrating cross-cultural encounters, the label collaborates with more than 15 artisans in Fez, Rabat and Casablanca and fuses their unique skills with Kacimi’s creative vision. Amongst them are Abdellah Kacimi and Omar Kerkour, her key collaborators, Fatiha Bouhoud, Badia Chentoufi working on clothes and Karim Bennis, Mohamed Lhayfi and Mohamed Malki on accessories. At first experimental, they have now built enriching and mutually beneficial partnerships.

Sophia Kacimi’s Biography:

Sophia Kacimi was born in France in 1991 to a French mum and a Moroccan dad. Growing up in Toulouse, her childhood was punctuated by travels in Morocco, from Khenifra in the Atlas region to Rabat and Casablanca, where her family is based. Kacimi’s newly launched fashion and lifestyle label Zoubida blends inspiration from all facets of her life and career. This includes her time studying business in Paris, making her debut with French luxury houses Givenchy, Louis Vuitton and Chanel, followed by a stint in New York working for the former brand Edun. In 2016, she settled in London to pursue her career, developing her creativity at the service of British major fashion brands like the unconventional Alexander McQueen and the classic Burberry.

For over 10 years, she built on her knowledge with these leading names in the fashion industry, carving out her own identity and deciding at the end of 2021 to launch her own label Zoubida. Her label is characterized by a juxtaposition of materials, colours and shapes for her designs. Influenced by her dual French Moroccan nationality, her creations blend her traditional Moroccan heritage with her innate artistic intuition, free creative spirit and above all her infinite eccentricity.

Editorial1:

Photography by Yoann & Marco agency / yoannetmarco.com / @yoannetmarco
Courtesy of Zoubida

Models are: Erwan Filidori / @erwanfilidori
Zak Deghache / @zakdhc
Manon Monin / @sydneymanon
Cheukyi Henrard / @cheukyiwi

Editorial 2:

Photography by Nadia Khallouki / @khkaidan
Courtesy of Zoubida

Models are: Mansouri Sabry / @mansourisabry
Valentin Bousquet / @e.khk.o

Fashion by Zoubida by Sophia Kacimi

zoubidazoubida.com / Instagram: @zoubida.official