Is Marrakech The New Fashion Bloggers Must-Visit City For 2018?

From where to stay to what to see, we explore why Marrakech is this season’s fashion influencer’s travel destination of choice.

Every year the industry’s most impressionable fashion bloggers seemingly flock to the same holiday destination on the quest for sun, swimwear opportunities, and – more often than not – a great shoot location. You may remember 2016 as being the summer that Instagram became awash with shots of Santorini, or last year’s flirtation with somewhat more muted cobbled streets of Puglia? Well this season the focus seems well and truly set on Marrakech and its dreamlike haze of rustic beauty. An eclectic mix of striking historic architecture and rundown authenticity, it’s a beautiful canvas in itself. Place well-dressed, expertly accessorised influencers in situ and wanderlust is inevitable. Pass the laptop, I’m booking my flights…

But what makes Marrakech so on-trend for now? Recent years have seen millennial pink having the kind of moment that simply can’t go unnoticed but much like any other trend in fashion, it’s reign can’t last forever.

Now we see a shift towards duskier shades of pink and a stronger focus on yellow, lilac, duck-egg blue, stone and forest green within fashion and interior collections. Where better to find this palette in raw, authentic form than the bustling city of Marrakech? The ideal opportunity for a touch of winter sun and a chance to covet spring/summer collections as they launch, the arguments for this city being the style set’s destination of choice are pretty strong.

Who Has Visited Marrakech

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Camille Charrière

Forever at the cusp of whatever the trend might be, London-living fashion consultant and influencer, Camille Charrière featured her dreamlike Moroccan break on her Instagram channel towards the end of March, dressed mostly in Mango’s new collection. The mix of city-ready satins and 70s-inspired denim against the washed-out walls of her hotel reinstate Marrakech’s city-break status.

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Anna Vitiello

Ahead of the curve, Anna Vitiello of accessory-expert duo, &Finally, posted from the hotel that’s now on every fashion (or travel) lover’s radar, Amanjena, back in August. Her signature neutral colour palette, manipulated in soft linens and styled with beautifully-crafted slides and wicker basket bags found in the souks’ secret corners, slotted seamlessly into their surroundings.

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Alithea Castillo

New York-based Alithea Castillo mimicked the fresh hues of the city’s picturesque architecture with her wardrobe choices, adding personality to her looks through the use of unusual silhouette and statement accessories’ as opposed to print and colour. Not only was her wardrobe for the trip decidedly on point, as was her planning; check the locations of her imagery to make your own Marrakech bucket list.

Why Go To Marrakech

FOR WINTER SUN:
At the beginning of spring there are limited travel destinations with a short flight distance from the UK and Europe where you can (almost) guarantee warm weather, but Morocco is one of them. Positioned on the coast of Africa with highs of 23 degrees in April and 28 degrees in May, if it’s not the culture that instils a complete feeling of departure from home then it might just be the weather.

FOR THE AFFORDABILITY FACTOR:
If you’re flying from the UK then you wont be short on travel options as direct flights operate out of five different major airports; Stanstead, Luton, Gatwick, Manchester and Bristol. Each is a relatively short journey (with all under four hours in duration) and can be found priced very competitively. Unike some other city break destinations, this is reflective of what you might spend once you land. A taxi ride to just about anywhere inside the city, for example, will cost you the equivelant of around £4.

FOR THE CULTURAL SHIFT:
There are few other cities in the world with a culture quite like Marrakech. The streets are a hub of lively activity: noise, dust and chaos, and locals zip through the windey streets on rickety little mopeds. Sad looking donkeys carry fresh fruit and vegetables from the farms just outside the city and shop owners jibe with each other to spark your interest. That’s one side of the coin. Behind un-marked, discreet wooden doorways, you’ll often step into a completely different world. This is where you’ll find some of the most picturesque interiors, intricate architectural work and vast garden spaces, completely at peace and seemingly departed from the outside world. All of the above needs to be experienced in order to get the full picture.

Where To Stay In Marrakech

1. El Fenn

Boutique Hotel, Riad

A dark-walled guest room at El Fenn, Marrakech with a four-poster bed, traditional wooden shutters and colourful suede armchairs.

Style is a key factor when considering a hotel stay in Marrakech and El Fenn masters the art of rustic-chic whilst remaining spacious, homely and design-focused all at the same time. Pared-back luxury just a street away from the madness of the city: it’s not easy to find but it’s worth the search. Imagine velvet sofas in mustard, deep purple and turquoise set in amongst rich greenery and stone-washed walls, hammocks, wicker chairs, colourful floor tiles and finished with authentic Moroccan upholstery. In essence, it’s a fashion and interior lover’s dream. Beautifully peaceful with a hidden courtyard, a spa or a rooftop at the turn of every winding staircase, it’s the kind of place you’d be forgiven for locking yourself away in and never leaving. Breakfast is served on the rooftop overlooking the souks.

The Marrakech Bucket List Essential For Fashion Lovers

2. Jardin Majorelle

Museum, Botanical Garden

Jardin Majorelle should be the first pitstop on any fashion enthusiast’s list. An historical site attributed to painter, Jacques Majorelle and bought by Yves Saint Laurent and partner Pierre Bergé in 1980, it’s steeped in designer history and it combines the beauty of the city with an insight into the mind of two very different but equally iconic creatives. Unique in its design and sensibility, it’s a haven of exotic plant life and vivid architecture; at the centre, the bold blue villa where Saint Laurent and Bergé lived until Saint Laurent died in 2008. It’s now open to the public and is attached to the Yves Saint Laurent museum which opened in 2017 to celebrate the life and works of the designer.

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