Casablanca

Founded by Moroccan born, Paris-raised Charaf Tajer, fashion brand Casablanca offers contemporary luxury fashion with an emphasis on modern tailoring and elevated casualwear. Named to honor both his African and French heritage, the label merges old school glamour with a modern sensibility, offering ultra-wearable clothing made out of luxe silks and cashmeres that prioritise elegance and comfort. Though it began as a menswear brand, Casablanca has since moved into the realm of womenswear, a move that was debuted via a 15-piece capsule for fashion retailer Net-a-Porter.

According to Tajer, he started Casablanca in 2018 as a response to not being able to see design work that spoke to his own sartorial sensibilities. Self-taught, his pieces are a distillation of the designer’s own personal style, resulting in collections that consistently feature hand-painted silk shirts, luxe tracksuit sets, and pajama-inspired suits. In an effort to minimise his brand’s contribution to the negative effects of fashion on the environment, Tajer rejects the use of plastic and synthetic materials. Shirt buttons are made with materials like coconut shells, and the cotton he employs is always organic. He believes in “slow fashion”, intending his garments to ultimately become heirloom pieces that are passed down from one generation to the next.

Today, Casablanca has racked up a list of noteworthy accolades considering its young origins. The brand made its debut at Paris Men’s Fashion Week in 2018 and in 2020, its designer was selected one of three African designers to be nominated for the prestigious Woolmark Award. That same year, he was also nominated for LVMH Prize, as well as being tapped to launch a sneaker collaboration with New Balance (a collection that reportedly sold out in seconds). Casablanca has also received the recognition of major fashion titles including British Vogue, American Vogue, Love Magazine, Vanity Fair, and plenty more, and his designs have been spotted on celebrities including J Balvin, Travis Scott, Gigi Hadid and Hailey Bieber.

“I would love for Casablanca in the next 20, 30 years to be one of those big houses that we all know, like Hermès, Chanel or Saint Laurent,” he told of WWD his label’s future. “My ambition is to be one of those guys—without being pretentious, of course.”