Zellij Print

I drew this print after the zellij of Fes, the hand-cut tilework that covers the riad walls of the medina and the courtyards of the Bou Inania madrasa. I spent time studying those star patterns, then recoloured them in rose quartz pink, cobalt and palm green and scaled them to move on a body. Designed in my Los Angeles studio, then printed and made in India.

The two pieces

Zellij lives on two maxi dresses, and both are built around a single shoulder line. The Habibi Halter Maxi Dress takes its name from the Arabic word for beloved. Its halter neckline draws one clean line from shoulder to floor, which is the most elongating thing a maxi can do — it is the dress I reach for when I want to look taller without thinking about it. The Fes One Shoulder Dress is its softer sister: a flowing maxi with one bare shoulder, the geometry falling in a long diagonal across the body.

Where to wear it

Both were made for warm evenings. Beach and destination weddings, where a floor-length print photographs beautifully against sand and water. Resort dinners and cruise nights, when you want one piece to carry the whole outfit from the table to a walk along the water. Rehearsal dinners, milestone birthdays, any evening where you would rather be remembered than blend in. Gold flat sandals, a single statement earring on the bare-shoulder side, and you are finished.

Made in a limited run

Every print I make is drawn by hand, developed in my studio and printed in small batches with artisans in India. When a run sells out it is not repeated, so the woman wearing Zellij is not going to meet herself at the party. Sizes XS to 3XL, and every piece can be made to measure — email your measurements and we will cut it to fit you.