As the sun dipped behind Marrakesh’s terracotta rooftops, it felt like a fantasy come to life for Alémais founder and creative director Lesleigh Jermanus. The occasion marked a milestone: the brand’s first runway show outside of its Australian roots, set against the richly textured backdrop of Morocco’s cultural capital. “I feel like I’ve been dreaming about this moment for a really long time,” Jermanus said, watching from a quiet nook backstage as guests took their seats. “Travel and collaboration are the beating heart of Alémais,” read the show’s notes—and while showing a resort collection abroad made perfect sense for a vacationwear brand, this wasn’t just about scenery or setting. Marrakesh left its mark on everything: the colors, the textures, and especially, the co-collaborative nature of design.
The journey began with a single woven blanket—and a chance meeting in the Medina with Laurence Leenaert, a Moroccan multi-disciplinary artist who helms LRNC Studios. “I had dreamt about buying one of her blankets for over a year,” said Jermanus. “We had this instant connection.” What started off as a one-off meeting evolved, eight years later, into a deeply collaborative collection rooted in trust, artistry, and a reverence for Moroccan craft. “Lawrence opened up her home, her studio, her heart to us…That takes so much trust.”
Within the palatial walls of Marrakesh’s Culinary Museum, the show unfolded like a vibrant love letter to the city—distilling its visual language into a resort collection that, like Marrakesh itself, reveals more beauty the closer you look.
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