Casablanca Paris, An Oasis In London

As of August 17th, the French brand Casablanca Paris boasts of a unique installation showcasing their Womenswear AW21 collection in the iconic Selfridges.

This takeover comes as a welcome bout of sunshine and prints when summer days are waning. It is also a nod to Selfridges’ eye for immersive brand experiences and capacity to innovate.

Charaf Tajer, the Franco-Morrocan creative director of Casablanca, has a rich history of involvement in the industry. At first the associate of an iconic bar-club in Paris, he pursued his passion by launching a ready to wear brand and then a fashion consultancy. When the time came for Casablanca, he was more than ready and it was Selfridges who bought his very first collection.

Indeed Casablanca is the fruition of a very personal journey and is a multilayered testimony to Tajer’s travels and background. Warm colours, silhouettes and plush prints are an ode to his city Casablanca, whilst crisp cuts and preppier motifs are a reference to French après sport chic.

Plural and vintage, the brand inspires itself from fashion codes from the 90’s and yet its designs are positioned precisely in the present. The clothes are made for wearing when "the days exertions are done, but the night has not yet begun. Those magical hours marked by their sense of ease and heady anticipation, can be the most decadent part of the day". Delicately balanced between day and night, the magic of Casablanca is expressed through its overlap between leisurewear and lux.

Moreover, the vibrant space in the Selfridges Atrium is another example of their resilience to retail difficulties. Department stores have had troubles starting as early as 2019 with e-commerce sales being projected to almost triple, eating up a fair share of store revenues. This was coupled with pandemic related store closures and a lack of international tourists.

Selfridges however has always invested in creating authentic retail experiences that go beyond purchasing. Novel pop ups, restaurants, installations, and events go a long way in creating memorable experiences for clients and uniting them in a special way.

Now more than ever, Casablanca’s youthful tones and palpable joie de vivre is a perfect match for Selfridges and its cheerful activations.

Pooja Lucie Willmann

27/08/2021