Moroccan craftsmanship

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.

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