The atelier: from thread to trim
The strands
Three bundles of silk thread, held taut by the maalem.
The braid
Crossed and crossed again, the sfifa takes shape between the fingers.
The cord
Braided by hand to the length of the whole edge.
The edge
Stitched along the neckline, point by point, with a fine silk thread.
The buttons
The aakad: small silk knots, tied one by one down the front.
Made by hand, slowly
Every piece begins in the hands of the maalem, the master artisan whose knowledge was never written down, only passed on. We change nothing about how it is made, only how it is worn.
- Maalem
- The master artisan, who learned the craft by hand and passes it on the same way.
- Sfifa
- The silk braid drawn between the fingers to edge a caftan.
- Aakad
- Small silk knot buttons, tied one by one down the front.
- Rolled hem
- An edge turned and stitched by touch, so the cloth falls clean.
The finished edge
The sfifa and the aakad are the signature of a caftan made by hand: the first thing you see, and the last you forget.