Marrakesh is a magical place which warrants a visit for the art, architecture, culture and history as much as it does for the shopping.
This is your guide to the best places to shop.
It’s no wonder that Yves St. Laurent made Marrakesh his second home – there’s something exquisite in the literal and figurative design of this city. Shopping in the local souk (market) is extraordinary. Unlike other Middle Eastern markets, you don’t have to ferret through stalls of tacky “Made-in-China” tourist items to find local crafts. In the old city or souk, you see the artisans working right alongside the salespeople.
If you want to do some serious shopping in Marrakesh and bring home that gorgeous designer-worthy Kaftan, buttery leather bag or even a hand-woven rug, here are some must-visit stores.
Yves Saint Laurent Museum Yves Saint Laurent first visited Marrakesh in 1966 and fell in love with this city and purchased a home there. He and his partner, Pierre Berge, upsized their lodgings considerably when they then bought the historic Jardin Majorelle. Le Jardin is a home and garden created by the French artist and botanist, Jacque Majorelle. When Jacques died, his exquisite enclave was slated for destruction by hoteliers. Yves and Pierre rescued and restored the home and grounds. Today the Yves Saint Laurent Foundation has turned the site into a Museum for visitors. Personally, I love a good museum gift store and there’s a whole suite of shops within the Museum and gardens that are simply fabulous. (Side note, when traveling to Marrakesh, make an advance reservation for the museum as it books up quickly.)
Jardin Majorelle As I mentioned, there are several boutiques within the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and gardens, each stocked with a different collection of items that reflect Saint Laurent’s sensibility. You can find YSL inspired LOVE handbags and gorgeous carved silver heart necklaces. Starting in 1970, Yves started crafting and sending his close friends an annual “Love” card” stamped with the year. Today, these designs are available at the Jardin store as both posters and cards. If you were born between the years 1970 and 2007 (when he stopped making the cards), there’s a Love poster for you. The Yves Saint Laurent Museum is in a posh part of Marrakesh, on a street called Av Yacoub el Mansour where there are several fashion-forward Moroccan designer shops.
33, Rue Majorelle 33, Rue Majorelle was the first boutique I walked into, and it was shop at first sight. Everything is gorgeous and they have a bit of everything – home decor, clothing, accessories and art prints. When I travel to a city with plentiful arts and crafts like Marrakesh, I normally scope out my options, compare prices and am judicious about my purchases. I was not judicious at 33, Rue Majorelle simply because their design sensibility put a spell on me. Even though this is a more expensive boutique, the prices felt like a bargain by US standards. I fell in love with a red and black pocketbook with an Arabic tile motif woven into the leather and bought it on the spot. Morocco is famous for their babouches, mule-like slippers made from fabric or leather that mold to your feet when you wear them. You can find babouches all over the Souk for $10-$25 dollars. The slippers at 33, Rue Majorelle are a cut above, made with stunning fabrics, with hand-made soles that provide more support than your typical babouches.
MORO Moro, Moro, Moro. Moro is more than a store. It’s an experience, a cafe, a hotel, a perfumery and a curator of Moroccan goods. It has to be on the top of your shopping bucket list right there alongside the YSL Museum.
Start with the MORO perfumery shop which is called The Moroccans. You may recall from my trip to Florence, how I love a good apothecary (add link), and this one is sensual embodied. They feature oils, lotions and perfumes that draw from ancient Berber healing remedies. Their Moroccan oil is made with argan oil and amber and is incredibly hydrating. Of course, you can buy Moroccan oil at stands throughout the souk, but the lotions and oils they sell at MORO are the real deal. Their line of fragrances is beautifully bottled and exotic. The Hashish scent is a combination of anise, cinnamon, cannabis, and amber and is simply divine. I didn’t think it wise to bring a bottle of hashish oil across the border, so I skipped this one. I get seriously dehydrated when I travel overseas on long flights. By the time I landed in Morocco, my lips were like 24 grit sandpaper. Their Poppy Lip Balm is based on an old Berber recipe and made of beeswax, honey and poppy leaves. One application did the trick in getting my lips back into soft, non-sandpaper shape.
Walk around the corner from the Moro apothecary and you’ll enter the main Moro store. It’s more than a store – it’s a gallery of goods, a boutique hotel and cafe. Founded by an Artist, Mohcyn Bousfiha, and an entrepreneur, Mouad Mohsine who are committed to sourcing goods from artisans who celebrate the natural world and ancient Moroccan traditions. Walking into Moro is a whole experience.
When you visit, I implore you to proceed with caution. You will covet every single item in their collection. I’ve been on the hunt for a basic pocketbook to replace my now battered Anya Hindmarch smiley face cross body. I’m decidedly not the gal who changes pocketbooks with every outfit. I like to have one steady-eddy everyday purse that goes with everything, is light and buckles up neatly for safety in crowds. MORO has a pocketbook line made out of absolutely yummy leather, featuring their signature scarab beetle. Confession: Indeed, I made a second pocketbook purchase in Marrakesh. The red & black one from 33, Rue Majorelle is more cocktail attire and the Moro one will become my daily hand bag.
Side note. You are probably wondering how I discovered all these dreamy shopping destinations in Marrakesh on my very first visit. Truth? I had my very own soulful shopping guide – someone who lived in Marrakesh and knows the artists shop owners well. My trip was organized by Lola Stoyanovitch, owner of the oh-so-chic, Luddington, Michigan, boutique Sexy Nomads. A bit about Lola: She literally moved to Morocco at the start of the pandemic. She was the ONLY American on a flight to Marrakesh on March 15, 2020, when every other foreigner was leaving. Suffice it to say, Lola has an adventurous spirit. As a curator of goods for her store she’s well known among the Marrakesh design community.
After our visit to the Moro store and apothecary, we were treated to a special lunch in the MORO cafe. The cafe is a garden oasis surrounding a mulberry tree that adjoins Moro’s main shop. Lola’s friends at Moro planned a special lunch for us and frankly, we were famished after all that shopping.
One other thing about Moro that’s worth mentioning. They have a boutique hotel and while I didn’t visit the rooms, I can only imagine they are filled with the kinds of curated art you find in the store and apothecary. On my next trip to Marrakesh, I’m tempted to stay at their boutique hotel. There are only 10 rooms and the vibe is serene, sexy, 1970s Marrakesh.
Marrakesh Shopping in and Around the Souk
My next picks of shopping destinations are in and around the souk. Again, I’m sharing higher quality stores – not bargain shopping. Some of these stores have set prices whilst others heartily embrace the Moroccan tradition of bartering. Understand that bargaining is practically a national sport.
El Fenn is a destination for any shopper in Marrakesh
El Fenn Like Moro, El Fenn is a destination for any serious shopper in Marrakesh. Walking into El Fenn is like walking into an art gallery. El Fenn is a concept store, with a riad-style hotel and a sumptuous rooftop restaurant with amazing views of the Koutoubia Mosque. Okay, shop before you eat or eat after you shop but give yourself several hours to do both. The El Fenn restaurant features traditional Moroccan food with a decidedly plant-forward philosophy to all the dishes. Every dish has its roots in traditional Moroccan cooking, with an emphasis on freshness, flavors and unique blend of ingredients. Everything is plated on El Fenn’s artisan-sourced pottery, and you have a choice of seating arrangements. Sure, you can sit at a table, but in true Moroccan style, you may opt to slide into one of their pillow-laden couches.
El Fenn selects leading artisans to make kaftans, pottery, sculptures and purses. It has an aesthetic all its own – one that’s grand, bold, colorful and chic. El Fenn is decidedly not souk prices. You’re paying for quality, and this is where you go for that stunning one-of-a-kind piece to bring back from Morocco.
Caftan Soltana If Joseph ever needed to find a new technicolor dream coat, he’d find it at Caftan Soltana. There’s a new style of jacket that’s all the rage in the souk – think bold multi-colored fabrics. Think striped sleeves with a floral body, or a kilim inspired fabric with silk lining. Think of what you’d wear to make a statement at Burning Man or even The Met Gala. The granddaddy of this new style of Moroccan jacket is Mr. Latif at Caftan Soltana. He has a stand-alone store in an alleyway deep in the Souk (276 Souk Serrajine) and it’s a hidden gem. At Caftan Soltana, you can find any size, style, length or color of jacket. Some are made with kilims, some silk. There are stripes, florals, and embroidered velvets. I bought a floor length African mud-cloth black coat with tiny beads all down the bodice. It’s elegant and unique. Mr. Latif will tailor a jacket to your size if it’s too long or if you want pockets or even if the fit on the shoulder is not quite right. Caftan Soltana supplies jackets and caftans to some major retailers and no doubt, by the time any one of his creations hits a store in the United States, it’s four or five times the local price. The prices vary widely but expect to pay somewhere between $300 and $600 for a quality piece. (Note Caftan Soltana does not have a website, but you can reach Mr. Latif at ennosse.titif@gmail.com)
Tamegroute Pottery Pottery and ceramics abound in stalls throughout the souk, but if artisan, custom, hand-thrown artisan pottery is your jam, head to Tamegroute Pottery. They sell pottery made in the style native to the Tamegroute region, known for its green glazes. The clay is mixed with a bit of kohl, some copper, dry rock plus (I kid you not), barley soup. Tamegroute pottery and their designs are heritage based, and each family has a unique style that is passed down from father to son. This is sturdy, custom pottery, each piece reflective of the artist, the mixture of clay and the heat of the kiln. Tamegroute sells bowls, sculptures and large vases that are stunning. This is not Pottery Barn stuff – these are collector items that make a statement. If you’re a serious pottery collector or looking for a one-of-a-kind piece, email ahead to set up an appointment with Abdelkarim Boudlal, the proprietor. He will share the history of the pottery made by his family going back centuries.
Nomads Treasures Store I’m no stranger to purchasing rugs on trips abroad. I have a gorgeous rug I bought in Turkey 30 years ago that is a staple in my entry way to this day. We have a hand-woven Navajo rug we purchased directly from the acclaimed Navajo weaver, Dennis Long, in Teec-No-Pos, Arizona. It’s so beautiful, we’d never dream of letting it touch the floor and instead hang it on a wall. On my last trip to Morocco, we picked up several bold colored kilims to brighten up our Martha’s Vineyard beach house. If you are traveling to Morocco, you’re going to end up bringing home a rug whether you plan to or not. So, here’s my advice: think through some areas in your house that might benefit from a rug and take some measurements before you fly. And don’t worry about getting the rug home. Moroccans are expert at folding up rugs into tiny, neat packages – they usually provide a handled bag for you to put in luggage!
Rugs shops abound throughout the souk, and you’ll get many offers to come in peruse and have a cup of tea. I encourage you to explore. However, I’m no rug expert and I prefer to buy from a shop trusted by a friend like Lola. That way, I know I am sourcing rugs that are handmade. Many of the rugs in Morocco are made by women and I also want to know that they are paying the weavers fairly. Nomads Treasure store is across the street from Tamegroute Pottery and run by the brother of Abdelkarim Boudlal mentioned above. He can walk you through a complete history of the various Moroccan tribes and the style of rug that is native to each region.
Funky Cool Medina Marrrakesh is home to some rad young clothing designers like Fahd Al Marsoui who pulls from vintage finds and unique fabrics to craft his very funky and cool creations. I walked in and, “I asked the guy, ‘Why you so fly?’ he said, ‘Funky Cool Medina.” Well, I’m borrowing from the epic Ton Loc rap song, Funky Cold Medina, which is this shop’s namesake. Indeed, it’s fly. Fahd Al Marsoui, the owner and designer, grew up in and around the souk, then moved to the UK, where he began to sell his designs at music festivals. While I didn’t do any shopping here, I was completely infatuated with their style and sensibility. If funky or cool are a staple in your wardrobe, you must go. Oh, and check out their Instagram for proof of just how funky and cool.
Now that I’m back from Marrakesh, I actually wish I’d bought more. The prices are very reasonable, given the artistry and the quality. For bargain shopping, wander the souk. There are stores selling antiques, exotic lamps, woven baskets, Moroccan pottery, bold linens and even meteorites. Yes, you read that right, meteorites! Turns out Morocco is the second most likely place in the entire world (after Antarctica) to find meteorites. Evidently, they abound in the Sahara Desert and Moroccan nomads and treasure hunters are well trained at spotting them. So, if you’d like a piece of the solar system, go to Marrakesh.
I’m definitely headed back to Marrakesh again for more exploration and shopping. So, tell me, if I missed some gem of a shop, let me know. I’ll add it to the list!