French Designer Unveils Lavish ’Butterfly Ball’ Dress Honoring Morocco’s King at Casablanca Fashion Show

From April 20 onwards, the Sofitel Casablanca Tour Blanche will host the Casa Fashion Show. Stylist Aurélie Alezeraa, who is participating in a fashion show in Morocco for the first time, will present a dress, from the Orza couture brand, weighing 21 kilos, adorned with more than 200,000 pearls and embroidery, and one can read on it the following inscription: "Long live His Majesty our King, Long live Morocco".

The fact that a French woman writes this could raise many questions, but it turns out that Aurélie Alezeraa was actually born in Morocco. Speaking to the Huffpost Maroc, the fashion designer explains her approach: "As a stylist based in Paris, I wanted to pay tribute to my country of the heart, the one that saw me born, while presenting Moroccan artisanal know-how in France".

However, given the weight of the work, one might wonder which knight of ancient times would have enough strength to wear it and move around with even a little ease. This is where Alezeraa’s statements come to enlighten us: "It is obviously not a dress that can be worn to an event, it is a unique piece dedicated to the fashion show. The dress and its corset weigh 21 kilos. It is covered with 1488 butterflies, each with nearly 166 genuine glass beads. It pays tribute to Morocco thanks to its flaming red color in Calais lace, set on an imposing 2-meter diameter crinoline".

And this idea, this tribute to King Mohammed 6, also has its own history, and it is not really a long-standing desire. The designer declares, still to the Huffpost Maroc: "Originally, it was Kenza Cheddadi, founder of the Casa Fashion Show, who proposed to me to present a creation in tribute to Morocco. I really thought about what I could do and I have been dedicated since September to imagining a unique dress that illustrates my love for this country and pays tribute to His Majesty".