Preserving knowledge. Supporting skilled work. Caring for the craft.
Honoring the Artisans Behind the Craft
At Les Nomades de Marrakech, the knowledge and skill of Moroccan weavers are fundamental to our collection. We work with selected cooperatives across the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas and other weaving regions of Morocco, each bringing its own techniques, materials and traditions to the work.
We build relationships with cooperatives whose craftsmanship meets the standards of our collection. Because we purchase the pieces we select directly rather than working on consignment, these relationships give us priority access to their production and the opportunity to make our selection first. Rugs we do not acquire remain with the cooperative, which is free to offer them elsewhere.
This model gives the cooperatives the independence to manage their own production while allowing us to maintain a rigorous approach to quality. Over time, each relationship develops through consistency, trust and the standard of the work produced.
These partnerships also make room for both independent creation and collaboration. We select rugs conceived by the cooperatives themselves and also exchange ideas about colors, textures, proportions and compositions for particular projects. In both cases, the weavers’ technical knowledge remains essential to the finished work.
Les Nomades Atelier: A More Direct Commitment
Our own small workshop in the Mrirt region of the Middle Atlas produces the Les Nomades Atelier collection. We established the atelier to take a more direct role in material selection, production, quality and the artistic development of our contemporary rugs.
Here, we purchase the wool ourselves and follow the development of each piece closely, from the first decisions around material and design through weaving and finishing. This closer involvement gives us a deeper understanding of the entire process behind the finished rug.
The atelier also allows us to pay closer attention to the working environment and to the conditions in which the rugs are made. Our aim is to give skilled weavers the materials, time and consideration necessary to carry out their work properly.
It is also a place for experimentation. New proportions, textures, palettes and constructions can be developed alongside experienced weavers, combining their technical knowledge with our creative direction.
Compensation That Reflects Skill and Effort
Respect for craftsmanship also means recognizing that two rugs of the same dimensions can require very different amounts of work.
More repetitive designs may be calculated by the square meter, while particularly intricate pieces can be assessed individually. Fineness of weaving, density, changes in technique, material handling and the complexity of a composition can all influence the concentration, time and expertise required to produce a rug.
Some pieces depend on the knowledge of particularly experienced weavers and cannot simply be produced in greater quantities on demand. Their availability follows the capacity of those artisans and the time required to complete the work properly.
Respecting these limits is part of respecting the craft itself. The individual skill behind such pieces is also part of what gives them their distinctive character.
Carefully Chosen Materials, Clearly Explained
Materials are selected according to the character we want a rug to have: its texture, surface, color, softness, structure and overall expression.
Across our collections, we work with Moroccan wool as well as selected imported fibers when a particular quality or result calls for them. Material quality is only one part of the finished piece; preparation, weaving and finishing all contribute to the final result.
Some collections use factory-spun or factory-dyed yarns. These methods reduce the preparation required before weaving begins and allow us to develop handmade Moroccan rugs across a broader range of price points. The weaving itself remains handmade.
Other rugs involve hand-spun yarns, hand-dyed wool or more labor-intensive preparation methods. When natural dyes are used, sourcing and preparing the necessary materials can add another layer of time and work to the process.
We believe these distinctions should be communicated clearly. Hand-dyed wool does not necessarily mean naturally dyed wool, and cream, brown or black yarn is not automatically undyed. Where the information is known, we explain these qualities so that customers can better understand how materials, preparation and weaving contribute to the character and value of an individual rug.
A Practical Approach to Sustainability
For us, sustainability is not a single material claim or a marketing label. It is a series of practical responsibilities: supporting continuity in skilled work, respecting the time required to make things well, understanding the materials we use and caring for rugs so that they can remain in use for many years.
Our purchases and commissions contribute to continued demand for weaving skills in the communities with which we work. Production cannot always be accelerated. Technique, complexity, material preparation and the availability of experienced artisans all influence how long a rug takes to complete.
The same principle applies to rugs that already exist. Vintage Moroccan rugs remain an important part of the Les Nomades collection, and many have already lived long lives before reaching us.
When a piece requires repair or restoration, our in-house specialist — affectionately known within the house as our “rug doctor” — works carefully to preserve it. Maintaining older textiles allows their craftsmanship to remain part of everyday life rather than treating age as a reason for replacement.
Protecting the Future of the Craft
Moroccan weaving continues because its knowledge continues to be practiced, shared and valued.
Through our cooperative relationships and our own atelier, we want to create room for both continuity and experimentation: established techniques alongside new proportions, palettes, materials and ideas.
We do not believe that protecting a craft means keeping it unchanged. Its future also depends on allowing skilled makers to continue working, adapting and creating while respecting the knowledge that gives the work its depth.
Our responsibility is to understand that work as closely as we can, select it carefully, describe it honestly and respect the people, materials and time behind every rug that enters the Les Nomades collection.