Behind the collection
How a sketch grows into a finished kaftan.
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Moroccan craftsmanship
Sfifa, aakad and randa: the handwork behind every detail.
Look closely at a kaftan and you will see a braided band down the front, edged with a row of small buttons. That band is the sfifa; the buttons are the aakad.
The sfifa is braided by hand from silk or metallic thread. An experienced craftsman braids about a metre an hour; a kaftan easily needs three to five metres. The aakad are then knotted one by one, often more than a hundred per piece.
The randa, the openwork edge embroidery, is applied last. It is the detail that decides whether a piece looks finished or not.
Journal
Stories from the atelier
The art of the kaftan
From court dress to contemporary couture.
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