Latest news with #Morocco


Arab News
4 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
Moroccan women embroider ‘art with purpose'
SIDI RBAT, Morocco: In a small village on the coast of southern Morocco, women gather in a house to create collaborative works of textile art, and also earn a living. Several hunch over large canvasses, embroidering their latest piece at the women-only workshop, in the village of 400 people. Some of their works have been shown internationally. 'This project has changed my life,' said Hanane Ichbikili, a 28-year-old former nursing student turned project creative director. 'And yet I had never held an embroidery needle before,' she told AFP. Just 19 percent of Moroccan women hold steady jobs, according to official figures, and in rural areas they are particularly affected by poverty, unpaid labor and a lack of opportunity. An artist with roots in both Morocco and France has tried to make a difference. Margaux Derhy founded the workshop in 2022 in her father's native village of Sidi R'bat, around 70 kilometers (45 miles) south of Agadir, to fulfil her 'dream to make art with purpose.' The project uses textiles and old photographs to explore her family heritage before they left the country in the 1960s, turning sepia-toned portraits and scenes into large silk-and-linen canvases. The North African country was a protectorate of France before gaining its independence in 1956. The project is more than just personal for Derhy — it also provides local women in the small fishing village employment. 'I wanted to be engaged on the ground,' said Derhy, adding that she hired 10 local women to work full-time for a monthly salary exceeding Morocco's private-sector minimum wage of 3,045 dirhams ($330). The women's hands glide over frames that were once used by Paris's prestigious Maison Lesage, the world-famous embroidery house that has worked with some of the greatest names in fashion. The creative process is collaborative, with Derhy drawing an outline and the team then gathering to choose the threads and color palette for each section. A canvas can take up to five months to complete. The finished works, priced at up to $5,620, have been shown in exhibitions in Marrakech, Paris and Brussels. Future exhibits are planned for Casablanca's L'Atelier 21 and Tabari Artspace Gallery in Dubai. The workshop has also helped to challenge perceived ideas about women in the village. 'At first, some of the women had to hide to come because it was frowned upon,' said Khadija Ahuilat, 26, who oversees operations. She said some people thought the project 'was nonsense, and a woman should stay at home.' 'But we managed to change that. I'm very proud to have contributed to this change, even if on a small scale.' Her mother, Aicha Jout, 50, a widow who once gathered mussels and raised livestock to support her family, is now one of the embroiderers. 'It changes a lot for me to be here,' she said. 'I love the idea of embroidering on pictures, but also of passing on the craft to other women.' Jout learned to embroider at the age of 12, and has trained the rest of her mostly single or widowed colleagues. 'There aren't really a lot of job opportunities here, so when the chance came I didn't hesitate for a second,' said Haddia Nachit, 59, one of the workshop's most efficient embroiders. Her nickname among the women is 'TGV' — after France's high-speed train. Seated next to Nachit, Fadma Lachgar, also 59, said the work allowed her to help her family. 'Resuming embroidery at my age, after 20 years of stopping, is a blessing,' she said.


Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
As Crocodile Dundee star Linda Kozlowski makes a rare public appearance in Los Angeles - why did the actress who claimed Paul Hogan's heart turn her back on fame?
Almost 40-years have passed since Crocodile Dundee turned Paul Hogan into a global star and his roguish titular character into one of Hollywood's most enduring money-spinners. Made on a relative micro-budget of just $10million and crafted predominantly for mainstream American cinema, the film grossed an astonishing $328million following its 1986 release and introduced Hogan - already a household name in his native Australia - to a wider audience. But as it changed Hogan's fortunes, so too did it impact those of his glamorous and hitherto unknown co-star, Linda Kozlowski. Born and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, Kozlowski was 27-years old when she won her first film role as Sue Charlton - the tenacious reporter hired to interview Mick 'Crocodile' Dundee before ultimately falling in love with him. It would be a career defining role for the actress, who would play Charlton across three films as Crocodile Dundee's initial success spawned a lucrative franchise. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. But it would also be the catalyst for a notable change in her personal life, with Kozlowski and Hogan developing an off-screen relationship that would lead to marriage in 1990 and, eight years later, the birth of their son, Chance. The couple would divorce in 2014 and Kozlowski has since found love with Moulay Hafid Baba, the Moroccan tour guide and location scout she met through friends and subsequently married in 2017. A low-key affair, the ceremony was reflective of Kozlowski's decision to turn her back on the film industry after years spent living beneath the tall shadow cast by Hogan and his hugely successful franchise. She told the Los Angeles Times in 1988 that she ended up being typecast by Hollywood casting directors after Crocodile Dundee - a film she described as a blessing and a curse. 'After Crocodile Dundee, I turned down lots of stuff, most of it where I'd play the girlfriend of some funny man,' she said. In an interview with Scripps Howard News Service in 2001, she discussed her choice to leave Hollywood behind and quit acting after starring a series of low-budget films with little or no commerical appeal. 'These straight-to-video schlocky films I was getting were giving me an ulcer, basically because I was the only one on the set that cared about anything,' she said at the time. 'I'd say, "Well, this scene doesn't make sense." [They would say,] "Aw, so what, just say the lines." [And] I thought, "This isn't fun anymore. This is not why I studied, it's not what I love." Between that and my biological clock, I decided to give it all away.' On Wednesday, the former actress made a rare public appearance with her ex-husband, their son Chance and Baba in Los Angeles. Kozlowski, who sported blonde hair while starring in three Crocodile Dundee films alongside Hogan, now has a shoulder length brunette locks. Opening up about their divorce in 2014, she told New Idea: 'Honestly, we just naturally grew apart. 'One of our problems was we really had nothing in common and, over time, that happens to a lot of people.' She insisted, however, that she and Paul were amicable. 'We've been separated to a certain degree for a long time,' she explained. 'The divorce is not sudden. It is very friendly. We talk all the time. We co-parent our son.' Between motherhood and 'living in Paul's shadow,' Linda was forced to retire from acting after being typecast in Hollywood, a source says. 'Linda loves acting, loves theater, loves the arts,' a source exclusively told the Daily Mail. But she felt like she was being offered 'pretty crappy roles' and 'started not liking' the industry as much as a result. 'She thought the roles and the rocket to superstardom were going to take her places she never even imagined. But the roles weren't there, she wasn't offered anything of substance,' the insider said. Since leaving Hollywood, Kozlowski divides her time between Los Angeles and Morocco, Baba's country of birth. Friends and business partners before embarking on a relationship, the couple launched Marrakech based company Dream My Destiny, which provides tours for tourists and location scouting for films, more than a decade ago. Speaking in 2014, Kozlowski said the experience and business venture had breathed new life into her ambitions following her divorce. 'Paul is very famous and I lived for a long time in his shadow,' she admitted. 'I feel good now to be out on my own and be doing my own things. 'My partner Baba really knows Morocco like the back of his hand,' she gushed. 'And combine that with my sense of what's happening now. What's hip, what's trendy, what do people want... What do the ladies want! I have a sense for that being an actress and traveler. 'So when you put us together we are really on top of the pulse of Morocco.' Two years ago the couple purchased a newly remodelled single story, four-bedroom, two-bath home in Ojai for nearly $2million. Ojai is a haven for artists and people who love the outdoors with its numerous biking, hiking, and horse trails. But their home in the village-like city isn't the only residence of Linda's, since the retired actress appears to have spent her one-off payment of $6.25 million in her divorce settlement on becoming a property tycoon. The brunette has bought three Venice Beachfront properties, which is dubbed Silicon Beach for the tech-CEOs it attracts. She's even earned the title of the Queen of Silicon Beach after having sold one home for $1.9 million in order to buy a $2 million home that she's now renting out. A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia in 2017: 'She has been really smart and made millions. She got a settlement from Paul of course and she's used it well. 'She's definitely her own woman now. Property prices have rocketed in Venice and she's rode the crest of a wave, no doubt about it.'


CBC
11 hours ago
- General
- CBC
CBC Sports: 2025 World Athletics Wanda Diamond League
Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium welcomes the world's best track and field stars for the latest stop of the 2025 World Athletics Wanda Diamond League.


Buzz Feed
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
31 Beauty Products To Help You Create A Tip-Top Routine
A hydrating Cosrx Snail Mucin Power Essence that will soothe and rejuvenate your skin so effectively that it'll make you think the exact opposite of "ew" when you think of snail mucin. It can also give your skin a natural "I woke up like this" glow that has earned it over 61,000 5-star ratings! An OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Curl-Defining Cream so you can properly flaunt your curls for passersby to envy. This miracle cream gives you ultra-soft curls and moisturizes them to boost their shine. Bouncy spirals of hair without the need to style with heat? Yes, please. A popular pack of Skin1004 pore tightening and lifting masks that has surprised reviewers with its immediate results. These fast-acting masks are made with albumin, aloe vera, and centella asiatica extract to hydrate and lift your skin, tighten enlarged pores, clear small breakouts, and give you that "just came fresh from the spa" glow. A non-comedogenic CeraVe salicylic acid body wash so you can finally break up with those keratosis pilaris bumps. With hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, this gently cleanses and exfoliates your skin. A TikTok-famous VieBeauti eyelash growth serum to help with upkeep when you can't make it to the esthetician for extensions. Apply to your lashes daily to help them become longer and stronger within just a few weeks! You'll be resisting the urge to flutter your lashes like a cartoon character every time your S.O. walks by in no time. L'Oréal Wonder Water Lamellar Hair Treatment, which works its magic in eight (!!!) seconds to give dull-looking hair a dose of shine and silkiness (without going to the salon). It'll probably make you want to do a dramatic hair flip every eight seconds, and we wouldn't mind it at all. A Korean exfoliating mitt you can use in the bath or shower to achieve that ~buttery soft~ skin. It helps you gently lather off dead skin, prevent ingrown hairs, and eliminate bumps caused by keratosis pilaris. The best part? You can get specific about the exfoliation pressure, since it's on your own hand! A bottle of wildly popular Bio-Oil multiuse skincare oil with vitamins A and E, chamomile, sunflower, and lavender oils to help fade scars and stretch marks while helping your skin retain moisture and achieve a more even tone. One reviewer even compares this stuff to sorcery. A bottle of Fanola "No Yellow" purple shampoo — you already spent major money to acquire that beautiful blonde look, so why would you let unwanted yellow tones get in the way? This'll cancel out the brassiness and help you keep it looking as good as the hair inspo on your Pinterest board before your next touch-up appointment. A CeraVe eye cream because don't you just love it when everyone points out how tired you look? This hydrates and repairs your undereye's delicate skin barrier with three essential ceramides so that you can say "see ya" to those dark circles. A pack of popular Cosrx pimple patches if you've been in need of a trip to the dermatologist — these'll evict those pesky pimples that have no business invading your face. These are coated with hydrocolloids to protect and heal the blemish more effectively. You officially have no excuses for picking at those pimples anymore! A bottle of highly-rated Nizoral anti-dandruff shampoo because we shouldn't be expected to deal with both bad hair days and flakiness. This gentle shampoo uses ketoconazole to help eliminate dandruff-causing fungus, along with the annoying itchiness that comes with it! And a shampoo scalp massager reviewers have raved about because it helped them with psoriasis, dandruff, and scalp tenderness. It exfoliates your scalp and gives you the glorious, relaxing feeling of a massage ~without~ the spa fees. A moisturizing Etude House SPF 50 sun milk, which is formulated with 20 powerful berry and plant ingredients (including açaí palm fruit extract, Barbados cherry extract, and sunflower seed oil) that are gentle on your skin and leave you with a lightweight, airy finish. It's intended to be used as the last step in your skincare routine and works like a charm as a makeup primer! A set of antimicrobial toothbrushes for those mornings when you might not get around to flossing, but still want to get a deeper clean than a regular toothbrush can give you. The tip of each of these tiny "floss" bristles are as thick as a single human hair and reach deep into the grooves of your teeth for a cleaner, fresher mouth. And if you have sensitive teeth, no worries — reviewers say these bristles are super soft. And a reviewer-beloved teeth-whitening pen — you'll see the difference almost immediately, and it'll help you avoid having to go get it done by a pro. It's painless, minty fresh, and helps whiten your teeth after years of drinking coffee, tea, wine, and basically anything that isn't water. 🙃 A touch-up razor and dermaplaning tool you'll need next time you want to quickly shape your brows or remove any of those other fine facial hairs that you just don't have the time or patience to pluck out one by one. Have no fear — it's super gentle and painless (and beats having to go out of your way to get threaded or waxed)! A stainless-steel tongue scraper because, trust me, your tongue has more gunk on it than you think. This useful tool lets you scrape it allll off and instantly freshens up your breath. It works so well, one reviewer even says they can now taste specific flavors they've never detected before! And an oral rinse if you have good oral hygiene but want your minty fresh breath to last all day. This rinse works instantly to target and fight bad breath germs for up to 24 hours. Some reviewers claim it has also helped reduce tonsil stones and prevented new ones from forming. A hair repair serum with argan oil, aloe vera, and vitamin E that help instantly condition and hydrate your hair so that you can walk out with a little extra shine. Or a natural curl-enhancing moisturizer — it has black castor oil, agave, and biotin that help increase your hair's shine and softness. Apply it right after the shower to help banish breakage and split ends! A cuticle oil that uses jojoba oil and vitamin E to help strengthen your nails and soften your cuticles so you can skip out on the time (and $$$) it takes to go get a manicure. Perfect for when you're about to go to brunch and you notice your nails are looking a little too rough for those mimosa stories that will be posted later. First Aid Beauty's KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub Exfoliant — lots of reviewers with keratosis pilaris and similar skin textures swear by. This'll help you gently exfoliate rough patches and dry bumps so that your skin is as smooth as a baby's. A hydrating rosemary mint strengthening edge gel infused with biotin that encourages hair growth and helps support healthy edges for a sleek look *without* the flaking and residue. An organic mist toner made of rosewater that helps maintain your skin's pH balance and reduce redness and irritation as well as sun damage and dark spots. Plus it smells amazing and refreshes your face with a radiant glow. CeraVe Retinol Serum — if you're just starting to explore the world of retinoids, this is a great option to start with! This gentle yet effective serum uses *encapsulated* retinol to help reduce scars and pores without flaking or redness. Plus, many reviewers rave about how they like it better than more expensive alternatives! A bottle of Elizavecca Hair Treatment some reviewers say is even BETTER than Olaplex, which is over three times the price! It's infused with collagen, ceramides, and protein extracts to help repair your hair if it is damaged, over-processed, or has just spent too much time with that flat iron. Simply apply it on wet hair after shampooing, wait five minutes, and rinse it out. An easy-to-use root touch-up that's just as effective as getting it done by a professional but *much* more affordable. Plus, it only takes 10 minutes to apply and will give you even coverage for up to four weeks! A hair thinner and cutter for all those times you've put off stopping by the salon for a trim (same 🙃). This little helper is great not only for cutting dead ends but *also* for trimming your bangs, maintaining a cut, giving yourself some natural-looking layers, or trimming and styling wigs. A microplane foot file capable of making calloused and cracked heels look like you just came fresh from a pedicure. Seriously, it removes more dead skin than you ever thought you could have. Yes, the results look pretty disgusting, but we know you love to see it. A tub of O'Keeffe's hypoallergenic hand cream to help restore moisture to dry, cracked, and sensitive skin. It also creates a protective layer on your skin's surface and gives your hands some hydrating relief.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Moroccan women embroider 'art with purpose'
In a small village on the coast of southern Morocco, women gather in a house to create collaborative works of textile art, and also earn a living. Several hunch over large canvasses, embroidering their latest piece at the women-only workshop, in the village of 400 people. Some of their works have been shown internationally. "This project has changed my life," said Hanane Ichbikili, a 28-year-old former nursing student turned project creative director. "And yet I had never held an embroidery needle before," she told AFP. Just 19 percent of Moroccan women hold steady jobs, according to official figures, and in rural areas they are particularly affected by poverty, unpaid labour and a lack of opportunity. An artist with roots in both Morocco and France has tried to make a difference. Margaux Derhy founded the workshop in 2022 in her father's native village of Sidi R'bat, around 70 kilometres (45 miles) south of Agadir, to fulfil her "dream to make art with purpose". The project uses textiles and old photographs to explore her family heritage before they left the country in the 1960s, turning sepia-toned portraits and scenes into large silk-and-linen canvases. The North African country was a protectorate of France before gaining its independence in 1956. - Creative process - The project is more than just personal for Derhy -- it also provides local women in the small fishing village employment. "I wanted to be engaged on the ground," said Derhy, adding that she hired 10 local women to work full-time for a monthly salary exceeding Morocco's private-sector minimum wage of 3,045 dirhams ($330). The women's hands glide over frames that were once used by Paris's prestigious Maison Lesage, the world-famous embroidery house that has worked with some of the greatest names in fashion. The creative process is collaborative, with Derhy drawing an outline and the team then gathering to choose the threads and colour palette for each section. A canvas can take up to five months to complete. The finished works, priced at up to $5,620, have been shown in exhibitions in Marrakesh, Paris and Brussels. Future exhibits are planned for Casablanca's L'Atelier 21 and Tabari Artspace Gallery in Dubai. The workshop has also helped to challenge perceived ideas about women in the village. "At first, some of the women had to hide to come because it was frowned upon," said Khadija Ahuilat, 26, who oversees operations. - 'A blessing' - She said some people thought the project "was nonsense, and a woman should stay at home". "But we managed to change that. I'm very proud to have contributed to this change, even if on a small scale." Her mother, Aicha Jout, 50, a widow who once gathered mussels and raised livestock to support her family, is now one of the embroiderers. "It changes a lot for me to be here," she said. "I love the idea of embroidering on pictures, but also of passing on the craft to other women." Jout learned to embroider at the age of 12, and has trained the rest of her mostly single or widowed colleagues. "There aren't really a lot of job opportunities here, so when the chance came I didn't hesitate for a second," said Haddia Nachit, 59, one of the workshop's most efficient embroiders. Her nickname among the women is "TGV" -- after France's high-speed train. Seated next to Nachit, Fadma Lachgar, also 59, said the work allowed her to help her family. "Resuming embroidery at my age, after 20 years of stopping, is a blessing," she said. kao/anr/fka/bou/srm/sco