Moroccan Artisans Showcase Luxury Crafts at Marseille’s MuCEM Exhibition

Clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, carpets, bags... Handmade creations and quality products are on display in the temporary boutique of the Mucem and the Fort Saint-Jean, through the "concept-store" Bessaha every day from 10am to 7pm, for six months. This exhibition follows a call for projects launched each year by the museum and won by the e-commerce site Chic Intemporel. The latter "brings together the work of about fifty cooperatives, designers and artisans, mainly Moroccans," says La Marseillaise. The goal is to "allow them to have a view on the international," develops Magali Ruffin, co-creator of Chic Intemporel.

The products are "high-end, without synthetic material," describes Selma Benbouchta, also co-creator of the platform. "These are products that you can’t find anywhere else that we want to make visible," adds her partner. This "physical" sale allows "customers to see the quality, for our company to be more legitimate and to strengthen the trust of the artisans," the two entrepreneurs are pleased. According to the explanations of Selma Benbouchta, Chic Intemporel works on the gradual empowerment of the artisans in the sale of their own products. "We pay them at the price they ask," she explains, and the company adds a 20% margin to the set price.

"We want to support the cooperatives so that they can be trained in accounting, so that the women can be educated," continues the co-founder. "[...] And when the mothers work, the children go to school." Her wish, she will add, is to expand the company’s market to the Mediterranean basin and the African continent.