When art and architecture redefine Moroccan fashion
The career of Mouad Ladraa, a trained interior architect and fashion designer, is marked by a conceptual approach and a willingness to experiment. Based in Casablanca, the founder of the Ladraa brand positions himself at the crossroads of disciplines, seeing fashion as a natural extension of architecture, the art of enveloping a body in space.
From visual art to clothing
Mouad Ladraa’s background is resolutely hybrid. After studies in applied arts and a diploma in interior design (École Supérieure de Design et des Arts visuels de Casablanca), he worked on a variety of projects, from the Grand Théâtre de Casablanca to exhibition staging.
It’s this experience of volume and space that fuels her vision of fashion. Launched in 2015, her brand was born of a desire to express this “child within”, before structuring itself around a unique creative line: the deconstruction and reconstruction of shapes to create pieces that envelop the body in a new way.
Ladraa targets customers who are sensitive to history and authentic shapes, and who don’t rely on ordinary cuts. Today’s clientele is more international than local.
Tradition, recycling and evolution
At the heart of Ladraa’s philosophy is a dynamic blend of tradition and modernity, craftsmanship and experimentation. For the designer, each piece must tell “a story between memory and identity transformation”.
Exploring Moroccan know-how
Mouad Ladraa is committed to the evolution of Moroccan dress without altering its traditional essence. He studies past codes such as the caftan or the djellaba to make them more functional, modern and universal.
To do this, he integrates the richness of Moroccan sewing techniques:
- Traditional embroidery: The use of techniques such as needle and silk thread embroidery to assemble cuts and pieces.
- Materials: Silk, raw cotton and handmade textiles.
Commitment to upcycling
Recycling is a pillar of the brand. Ladraa uses deconstructed shapes from waste and unused fabrics, which he reworks and glues back together to create one-of-a-kind pieces.
One notable project is the recycling of silk yarns: stocks not used by craftsmen are collected to be transformed using techniques such as crochet, macramé or weaving, thus combating waste.
Art as a stage
For Mouad Ladraa, digital is an essential tool for visual storytelling. The brand favors Instagram for its creative fluidity, using the platform to tell the universe, inspirations, and intention behind each piece, creating a bond with a loyal and engaged community.
The designer sees the presentation of collections not as a simple fashion show, but as a performative spectacle linking fashion and art. This vision has led him to collaborate with artists such as the duo Aïta Mon Amour, for whom he dressed the singer Ouidad, in a mutual evolution of art and tradition.
After a period of intense structuring, the brand is about to take a major new step: preparing a collection for London Fashion Week in 2026. A logistical and creative challenge that confirms Mouad Ladraa’s ambition to bring the essence of Moroccan fashion to the world stage.
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