PROFILE: ZidZid Kids

Photography & Styling: Marc Holden and Claire Bingham

EX-TEACHERS Julie Klear (American) and husband Moulay Essakalli (Moroccan) are ZidZid, a charming design company based in the heart of Marrakech.

Merging European and American sensibilities with Moroccan handicraft techniques, they make tiny poufs, soft toys, babouches, storage, and bags (see the aeroplane bag, pictured left) - all hand-stitched in the house next door to the duo’s home, which they share with their children, Noor and Zak. The range is both growing fast (more shoes and books are next), and is guaranteed to charm your little one with its “Moroccan flair.”

LB: What qualities are you trying to appeal to in children? And what’s the thinking behind your designs to date?

JK: We wanted to give them something worldly, soulful, different and something that taps into their imaginations. I feel where our line is made and how our line is made adds a very important dimension to our products. As a child my favorite toys were the handmade ones from an aunt, and the vintage ethnic dolls my Mom bought for me from garage sale and flea markets. Those held a certain magic, much more than any of my Barbie dolls or mass-marketed products at that time (70’s-80’s). I think there is so much to be said for something handmade, not to mention something well-designed. I have never bought into the whole ‘pink for girls, blue for boys’ mind-set either and our products go directly against that narrow thinking.

LB: Where did the ZidZid name come from?

JK: It is a Moroccan phrase meaning ‘let’s go!’ I heard it for the first time in the mountains outside of Fez - this old man was trying to get his donkey going. It had a nice phonetic ring to it and a universal appeal. It sounded very musical to my ear.

LB: Do you have a favourite design? And do your kids have a favourite?

JK: My personal favourites are the Peek-a-Boo Dolls [a double ended doll, where the dress flips over to reveal doll face no. 2, in combinations like the Owl and the Cat, and the Lion and the Mouse] because they are based on a favorite childhood doll met with some of my favorite folk tales that I think should be shared and told to children. And the Airplane Backpack [a silver vinyl backpack in the shape of a plane - see lead picture] because it is perfect fun and the shape and function relate directly to the energy of a child.

Our daughter’s are the fabric Handmade Dolls and the Tooth Fairy Owl [a stuffed toy with a pocket on the front]; she loves using and playing with them both. Our son’s pick is the Zorro Cape and Mask (inspired by him!).

LB: What are your design influences?

JK: German toys (puzzles, tea sets, wooden mushroom banks, little hand-painted clocks) of the 70’s+80’s. Silly old kids’ shows such as the French Chapi Chapeau. I am influenced by countless of children’s book illustrators as well including Maira Kalman and Mary Blair, as well as artists like Paul Klee.

LB: Do you have a favourite Moroccan activity?

JK: Hiking up in the Atlas mountains (about an hour’s drive from Marrakech) where we enjoy the trees, fresh air, the horses, the Moroccan kids we meet along the way, visiting the hand olive oil presses (and tasting the fresh olive oil with freshly made bread!), the Berber architecture and dramatic landscape….. all too lovely! Moulay’s favourite activity is going to the Atlantic coast (beach hide-a-way spot, Ouladia) for fresh fish grilled on the beach. And the kids love Couscous Fridays - served every Friday for lunch. It’s a big tagine filled with beef/lamb or chicken and seven vegetables with roasted garlic. They look forward to it every week….

*Buy ZidZid Kids online at www.luxeville.co.uk and www.lulasapphire.com.
**Buy Julie Klear’s new book, The Butter Man, a lush tale of a Moroccan childhood, in our Amazon store.