The unique brand, Aswad, has just been named winner of the Accessories Prize at the 2021 ANDAM Fashion Awards in Paris.
The leather workshop founded in Paris in 2015, and the brand’s identity is located at the crossroads of Moroccan and French craftsmanship and the brand’s attachment to the preservation of traditional skills. Aswad is a brand that aspires to make functional, aesthetic, handcrafted pieces with a contemporary take on artisanal practices.
The founder, Sonia Ahmimou confronts her heritage with a saddlery and leather goods practice acquired over 10 years as she cut her teeth in the workshops of Louis Vuitton, Moynat and Hermès.
At the ANDAM Fashion Awards, Ahmimou, presented her collection to the jury members – which included the likes of Phoebe Philo, Blackpink’s Lisa, and Kerby Jean-Raymond, and competed against other accessories designers such as jeweler Samuel François and Austrian studio, “Published By.”
Ahmimou’s took home an award worth more than $59,000 USD.
The awards ceremony saw British designer, Bianca Saunders take the top award of more than $360,000, which includes a year of mentoring and coaching from Balenciaga’s chief executive officer Cédric Charbit, who was also the president of this year’s jury.
ANDAM (National Association for the Development of the Fashion Arts) was established in 1989 by Nathalie Dufour in partnership with the French Ministry of Culture and the Defi Mode fashion organization. Its four annual fashion prizes look to cultivate young European fashion talent.
