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Join on Telegram Rabat – Photographer Sean Thomas offers a sweet escape from the monotony of lockdown with his latest spread for British Vogue, “In Another Land,” featuring Moroccan models Malika El Maslouhi, Nora Attal, and Tilila Oulhaj.
The May 2020 edition of British Vogue takes readers to sun-drenched Marrakech, where the young Moroccan models channel a bohemian North African style with a 1970s feel.
The Moroccan models are no strangers to Vogue and its various spin-offs around the world.
Nora Attal posed with her family for the July 2019 issue of Vogue Italia in her third Vogue feature, having already graced the cover of British Vogue and Vogue Arabia.
The 20-year-old model was born in London to Moroccan parents from the town of Larache in the northern Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region.
Malika El Maslouhi, born in Milan to an Italian mother and Moroccan father, has made a name for herself in the elite world of high fashion at just 18 years old. Vogue named her one of the best performers at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) in the spring of 2020.
During the 2019 Fashion Week events in cities around the world, the young model walked for top designers such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Hermes, Missoni, and Ralph Lauren.
“In Another Land” marks El Maslouhi’s second appearance in British Vogue. She has also been featured in Harper’s Bazaar and the Dutch version of Vogue.
Attal and El Maslouhi also featured on the cover of Vogue Arabia in December 2019 as two of five “diverse models reshaping the industry” from Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, and Lebanon.
“The Middle East has a bigger influence than ever in fashion, and I’m glad to be a part of it by representing it,” Attal said in an interview with Vogue Arabia.
“A lot of Arab women inspire me in what they do, from human rights activism to succeeding as beauty entrepreneurs or filmmakers who are shedding light on women’s struggles in the Middle East,” she added.
Tilila Oulhaj, 22, was born in Azilal, central Morocco. She proudly claims her Amazigh ancestry, and her unique look earned her the January 2020 cover of Vogue Arabia, for which she teamed up with Moroccan designer Karim Adduchi to pay tribute to the vibrant traditions and culture of Morocco’s Imazighen.
Adduchi drew inspiration from the storytelling traditions of Amazigh women—including those of his own mother and grandmothers—for his 2015 collection, “She Knows Why the Caged Bird Sings,” which was featured in the spread.
“Being on the Vogue Arabia cover was something unimaginable when I was selecting the materials [for the 2015 collection] and making them in my small village of Imzouren, with my grandfather choosing the colors and patterns with me,” the designer remarked during an interview with Vogue.
Morocco has proven to be an immense source of inspiration for artists in the realm of fashion, backdropping editorials for major magazines and ad campaigns for top-tier brands such as Louis Vuitton.
Moroccan artists themselves are making major headway in the industry as sought-after photographers and designers, with Larche’s Hassan Hajjaj a newfound favorite of fashion media giants such as Vanity Fair and Vogue.
Consumers can expect to see more of Morocco in high fashion as models, photographers, and designers illuminate the country’s modern marvels and colorful heritage.
