How Bakchic Questions Hegemonic Perceptions on Moroccan Culture
With royal blues and Eastern desert hues, Moroccan label Bakchic showcases North African culture to the world.
Deep within the barren Sahara, where the eye cannot see beyond the meeting point of rising hills of golden sands and the azure adorned sky, Morocco's vibrant cultural tapestry beckons. The scene is set, inspiration is in the air; such beauty calls for creation, and Bakchic heeds the call.
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Paying homage to its Moroccan roots, Bakchic's designs are a breathtaking fusion of contemporary fashion and traditional North African and Arab motifs. Each garment is intricately adorned with patterns that celebrate cultural heritage, blending bold and vibrant colours with flowing silhouettes. The result is an alluring aesthetic that is simultaneously timeless, modern, and reminiscent of the beauty of nature and the indelible influence of our surroundings.
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Established in 2012, Bakchic is a Moroccan label challenging the globalisation of contemporary fashion. Embracing North African culture, Bakchic is the fashion designer Sofia El Arabi's venture to reshape the narrative and reclaim her North African Arab identity. "Bakchic is a celebration of tradition and talent, a showcase of the beauty and richness of our culture to the world. It is a vibrant display of the creativity and heritage that define us. With Bakchic, we invite the world to witness the magic and wonder of our traditions and to share in the joy and pride that they bring," says Founder Sofia El Arabi in an interview with Scene Styled.
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Born out of a fear of stagnation, El Arabi felt as though her life wasn't going anywhere during her tenure at the NBC network in Casablanca. An inner drive to pursue her passion was then ignited, setting forth a series of events that culminated in the creation of the label Bakchic as we know it today.
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"I decided to start a fashion blog, and back then, that was a foreign concept in Morocco. I wanted to share fashion tips and express a part of me that I was passionate about and thus called the blog Bakchich - Arabic for small monetary tips - but then in a typo twist of fate, the 'h' fell off and Bakchich became Bakchic - a word that certainly did not make sense at the time but grew to embody everything I stood for," El Arabi shares.
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With the belief that fashion has the power to not only express individual style but also make powerful statements that challenge societal stereotypes and reshape perceptions, El Arabi utilises the reach of the fashion industry to combat negative assumptions about the Arab world.
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"I believe in wearing culture proudly and showcasing the creativity and heritage of our people through fashion," she begins.
Fashion can reclaim cultural symbols that have been unfairly associated with negative stereotypes by prominently featuring motifs in a positive light, on runways, in magazines, and in everyday style, it can alter the dominant narratives around those symbols.
"By incorporating Arabic calligraphy and motifs into my designs, I hope to challenge stereotypes and inspire a new appreciation for the diversity and vibrancy of our culture."
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El Arabi shares an unfortunate incident where one of her friends wore a sweatshirt with Arabic calligraphy to the airport and was interrogated by the police, reflecting how these motifs are often wrongly linked with terrorism. However, she is passionate about changing this negative perspective and promoting the beauty and richness of Arabic culture.
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Using the Kaftan to bridge East to West, Sofia's sartorial journey began with the traditional garb. Her discovery of people's love for Moroccan kaftans sparked a shift in her focus towards appreciating Moroccan culture. Growing up in a globalised world, El Arabi had not paid enough attention to her own heritage. When she began featuring kaftans from her family's collection in her blog, she received an overwhelmingly positive response, inspiring her to create something new by fusing kaftan sleeves with t-shirts, merging styles and aesthetics from different cultures.
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"I wanted to influence the world the way the world influences us. As Moroccans - and Arabs and North Africans in general - we are always dressing by western standards; you always see people walking around with a New York or Los Angeles printed t-shirt, but where's Marrakech? Where's Cairo? Where's Beirut?"
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A one-woman team, Sofia traverses the plains of Morocco for inspiration, from the untamed beauty of the country's natural terrain to the rich and beautiful Amazigh tribe. Every single Bakchic design is etched with history embossed within its very fabric.
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