Moroccan décor and riads were more or less closed books to designers, writers, artists and gourmets until the country came under French influence in the late 19th century. Anyone interested in Arabic and Middle Eastern culture and artefacts looked instead to Egypt, Turkey or the Lebanon. But just before World War I, Morocco became the ‘in’ place for those in search of fresh ideas, and not just because getting there across the Straits of Gibraltar was a comparatively simple matter.
French design at the time was much influenced by the fluidly impressionistic, nature-inspired, Art Nouveau style, made famous by such companies as Tiffany and Liberty, and was seen as a liberating influence from the heavier, flouncy, well-padded look of La Belle Epoch. It may seem surprising that such a style exported well to Morocco in the form of new French quarters and shops grafted onto ancient towns such towns as Casablanca, Tangiers and Marrakesh.
However the Sunni form of Islam dominant in Morocco was more accepting of outside influences than some other forms, and a cross-fertilisation of styles proved fruitful for both. Light, loose Moroccan clothes and drapes, vibrant Berber rugs, tiles and exotic Moroccan furniture, lanterns, tile work and wood carving came to Europe via France, along with the traditional Moroccan use of spices and tajines for cooking.
