«Manoush? Gipsy-like in my soul. When I was little, it was already my nickname. I must say I was just like a wild version of Esmeralda in the Hunchback of Notre Dame, with petticoats to my ankles, a sugar pink scarf tied in my hair, my arms covered with bracelets and other multicoloured charms: the shinier it was, the happier I felt. The more alive I seemed. This hunger for freedom I owe to the traveller community. They've always fascinated me. Their way of having fun, enjoying life to the full, thinking that anything is possible and every distant horizon within their grasp – what magic! This carefree attitude and audacity I apply to my fashion designs. No barriers, no limits: I see it as a wondrous trip. This trip started in Morocco. A few years ago, I decided to spend some time in Marrakech. Inspiration was on every street corner. Colours, fragrances, fabrics – I was captivated, enthralled and hypnotised. I spent my days in the souks, I would go and see all the craftsmen and order the handbags I designed. I bought Hands of Fatima in one place, willow baskets in another and put my creations together with scissors, glue and a needle. I came back to Paris with a few customised baskets under my arm. I found a buyer and decided not to stop there. My head was full of ideas – this is where the Manoush adventure began. True to my wish for freedom, I went beyond the borders of Morocco to draw inspiration from women in the Orient, India and Africa. I remembered something from every one of them – the lightness of a fabric, the softness of a type of leather, an unlikely combination of two colours, the way a skirt was knotted - a thousand and one details that, when all added together, make Manoush what it is. The spirit of the brand? Poetic, bohemian, girly and some people would even say kitsch and this is quite true. I love anything that shines, sings out, sparkles and dances. Welcome to my world, welcome to the world of Manoush.»
