MOROCCO-RAFFIA SHOES Skilled Artisans in Morocco make Raffia shoes destined for foreign markets

Record ID: 150033

  • Title: MOROCCO-RAFFIA SHOES Skilled Artisans in Morocco make Raffia shoes destined for foreign markets
  • Date: 3rd June 2015
  • Summary: ESSAOUIRA, MOROCCO (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THE MAIN SQUARE IN ESSAOUIRA LEADING TO THE OLD CITY A STREET IN THE OLD CITY A PLAQUE (Arabic and French) THAT READS: 'Artisane Collective of Essaouira' VARIOUS OF WOMEN MAKING RAFFIA SHOES VARIOUS OF RAFFIA SHOES ON DISPLAY VARIOUS OF WOMEN MAKING RAFFIA SHOES RAFFIA FIBRES ON DISPLAY VARIOUS OF RAFFIA SHOES ON DISPLAY VAR
  • Embargoed: 18th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Morocco
  • Country: Morocco
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2364G57XUVD5X5ZFZCFK6JEWC
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: These shoes are handmade for walkin' in Morocco.
    Skilled artisans spend hours carefully weaving each pair, using raffia fibres imported from Madagascar, where raffia palm trees are grown.
    The shoes are traditionally made in three Moroccan cities, Sale, Mohammedia, and Essaouira; and are crafted mainly by women.
    On average, it takes one day to weave a pair of shoes but a more intricate design could take up to two or three days to be finished.
    Youssef El Hor, one of the Raffia show designers in Essaouira says these kind of shoes are good for the feet, as they're soft and malleable.
    "It (Raffia) is a natural product with no artificial elements. It is recommended by doctors because it is excellent and healthy and does not harm the feet," El Hor said.
    Workshops in this Moroccan city receive many requests from abroad, says Sanaa Ettayfi who manages a shop in Essaouira that sells the summer shoes.
    "There is a big demand and we receive a lot of orders from big stores and big fashion houses. They give us the models they want and we manufacture it for them what they want. We have clients from France, Italy, and Australia. We work with many countries," Ettayfi said.
    In this year's spring/summer collection designers Dolce & Gabbanna, Gucci and Robert Clergerie all have Raffia shoes in their collections.
    The price tag of the luxury designer shoes range from 100 to 600 U.S dollars.
    Here in Morocco shoppers can snap up a pair for around a quarter of the price, with shoes being sold for the equivalent of 30 U.S dollars.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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