Marrakech greets us with a cornucopia of noise and activity. With the background sound of the Koutoubia Mosque muezzin, you have to be constantly on alert for the endless stream of mopeds, taxis, donkeys, handcarts and caleches that jostle for space in the old city streets. Your eye is continually caught by unfamiliar sights but with an 8 year old in tow, you have to be vigilant to avoid getting mown down!
At the main square, Jamaa el-Fna, you are hit by the smell of woodsmoke, the sights and sounds of snake charmers, storytellers, henna tattooists, musicians and hawkers. From here, we discovered the famous souks, a feast of colour, shape and pattern for the designer’s eye. Layers of Berber rugs, pashminas, garlands of freshly dyed wool, lanterns, leather bags and slippers, ceramics, jewellery, and spices adorn the tight little alleyways. Shafts of sunlight stream through the gaps in the bamboo roofs, as the shopkeepers happily barter with us and we avoid another moped that slaloms between cats and shoppers.
In the northern souks we glimpsed blacksmiths at work turning old metal into works of art as we made our way to gaze in wonder at the 14th century Moorish building, Ali ben Youssef Medersa. Intricate wood carved balconies look down upon a courtyard surrounded by a geometric wonderland of tiled walls and carved plaster where one tiled, inscribed or sculpted pattern trumps another.
Another highlight was a visit to the Jardin Majorelle. This cobalt-blue art deco villa and garden was built by the painter Jacques Majorelle and later lived in by Yves Saint Laurent. The glorious blue of the house and orange and yellow plant pots provide a wonderful backdrop to the gardens of cacti, palms and bamboo. The villa houses a collection of Berber artifacts, full of inspiration and a great place to sketch some patterns.
We discovered a tiny gem of a cafe, hidden away in one of the souks – the Henna Café, which not only provided a haven of peace and quiet, fantastic hummus and falafel, but we also got to choose a henna tattoo, given by the wonderful and expert artist, Fatima, with all the proceeds going to a local charity.
The overwhelming feeling of Marrakech is the riot of colour, sound and smells and of a sense of ‘order’ amongst the chaos. You can’t help but soak up the colours and textures of this wonderful city from the pyramids of neatly piled oranges against a vivid blue sky to the deep red of a Berber rug hung against a crumbling pinkish wall.
You are struck by the mishmash of layers – of people, buildings, decoration, patterns, goods, and food. You find you are always looking in, down, behind and up to see hidden passages, doorways, windows and corners. Marrakech is a welcome assault on all the senses – a city full of life and a treasure trove of inspiration for the creative eye. Highly recommend a visit!
Pattern design inspired by Marrakech:
I was trying to evoke the feeling of the chaos, the layers, the mishmash of patterns and while I tried to do this in a limited, more restrained palette of blues, I went back to my initial colour palette that was inspired both by the city in general and more specifically by the colours of the Jardin Majorelle .
A Postcard from Marrakech by Julie Anson
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As a mature student, I gained a First Class degree in Art and Psychology. After working as a PA for The Jane Goodall Institute, I started freelancing as a graphic designer/illustrator, working mostly on educational books. I had taken a textile design module at University and at the back of my mind felt this was where my heart lay. When I found the Make It In Design website and saw the ABSPD courses, I jumped at the opportunity!
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