The Salomon brand pays tribute to the mountain guides of Imlil

When the clothing style of the mountain guides of Imlil inspires Salomon. It all started with a trip by London photographer Thomas Lohr to Morocco in February 2023. During a hike, he finds himself in the village of Imlil where he meets several mountain guides. He is charmed by their clothing style, a clever mix of traditional clothing, combined with Salomon shoes worn by time. "For us, the wool djellaba is essential: it protects us from the cold and is the most comfortable garment," explains one of the tourist guides to the photographer. And to add: "Our culture always keeps functionality in mind. We wear Salomon because these shoes are durable, lightweight and they protect us. We never slip, so we can go anywhere we need to take our clients. That’s how we offer the best service."

This fusion inspires the British photographer. As soon as he returns, he contacts Salomon. He then proposes to him to carry out a special trip, a visual story that would be filmed in Imlil, with these guides as the main characters, in order to present the new Salomon Advanced collection. Convinced by the proposal, the brand produces a series of images and videos, honoring the guides Hussein, Abdelhamid, Mohamad W., Mohamad A. and Abdelaziz. In an Instagram post, Salomon is delighted with this achievement, which was unveiled on March 28, 2023. "In tribute to the local mountain guides and their high-altitude lifestyle, the work highlights the creative dialogue between traditional heritage and technology," the brand explains.

After learning that an earthquake had struck the Haouz region, negatively impacting Imlil, the Salomon brand and photographer Thomas Lhor, in partnership with the Ultra Trail Atlas Toubkal, the first trail running race in North Africa, have accompanied the village in its rebirth and reconstruction, through support initiatives, such as UTAT Solidarity Atlas, which collects donations for local populations.