Algerian Wear Collection: Morocco Takes Adidas to Court for Cultural Appropriation

Rabat- Morocco’s Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication has instructed Mourad Elajouti, President of the Morocco Lawyers’ Club, to file a complaint against Adidas for cultural appropriation of Morocco’s heritage.

The complaint request followed Adidas’ announcement introducing its new Algeria culture wear, which sparked widespread controversy on social networks.

Adidas MENA shared an Instagram post, with photos of its new Algeria culture wear collection, claiming that it was inspired by the “architectural design of the iconic El Mechouar palace in Tlemcen.”

Morocco’s lawyer club, however, accused Adidas of the appropriation of Morocco’s culture, arguing that the shirts are inspired by Morocco’s “Zellige”, a type of mosaic tilework.

Elajouti commented on Adidas’ new collection release, saying: “We have warned the corporation that this practice constitutes cultural appropriation, an attempted robbery of a form of traditional Moroccan cultural heritage, and the use of that heritage outside of its intended context, all of which contribute to the loss and distortion of the identity and history of these cultural elements.’’

The images of the new collection have galvanized social media users prompting them to share multiple hashtags on Instagram including, #Moroccan culture, #Moroccan Zellige, and #No theft of Moroccan heritage.

تشكيلة أنيقة مستوحاة من التصاميم العريقة لقصر المشور.
متوفرة من 14 أكتوبر في المتجر وعلى موقع https://t.co/dqE4Tv5WO9 ومن خلال @dzfanstore

The new Algeria culture wear collection, inspired by the iconic El Mechouar palace. Available from 14/10.

?: @aqbnwr @LesVerts pic.twitter.com/sAdNbWhSyL

— adidasMENA (@adidasMENA) September 23, 2022

Internet users emphasized that Sultan Youssef Ibn Tachfin built El Mechouar palace at Tlemcen, which was originally intended to accommodate the Almoravid and then Almohad governors. The palace was renovated in 2010 employing Moroccan calligraphy, plaster art, mosaic, and zellige.

A viral video claims that the director who oversaw the Palace of Tlemcen’s reconstruction acknowledged Moroccans’ assistance and the use of their materials.

Some social media users also called for a boycott on Adidas shops in Morocco.

Morocco’s culture and heritage suffered several similar cases. Recently, Mbarka Ait Ouhassi, a Moroccan artisan of handmade traditional carpets, filed a lawsuit against the Directorate of Culture of Tlemcen, a city in northern Algeria, for unauthorized use of her artistic photograph to promote the city’s culture.