Moroccan Designer Karim Adduchi Makes Face Masks for Homeless

Vogue Arabia featured Adduchi’s designs on the cover of the January 2020 issue.

Amsterdam-based Moroccan designer Karim Adduchi has joined the global solidarity movement amid the COVID-19 pandemic by using his design studio to produce face masks for the homeless and families in need.
Adduchi shared his project with his fans on his official Instagram account. “In the past two months we’ve been making face masks for organizations supporting families in need,” he wrote to his 9,000 followers.
The announcement came with a pattern for producing masks at home. “We’re offering the pattern for people who want to make their own washable mask using fabric,” explained the designer.
Adduchi recommends washing the mask at 65 degrees Celsius and using pure cotton. “Research shows that kitchen towels and sheets are excellent materials.”
The Instagram post includes images of child- and adult-sized patterns as well as clear instructions on how to change the filter and sew the mask. Adduchi also provided an email address for queries about how to make or use the washable masks: studio@karimadduchi.com.
Adduchi is an illustrator and fashion designer from Morocco’s Imzouren mountains. He moved to Barcelona, Spain to complete his education and is now based in Amsterdam. The designer remains connected to his Moroccan roots through his creations.
The Amazigh (Berber) artist uses his designs to “showcase his personal story and his heritage in a transparent way,” according to his official website.
Adduchi has won international acclaim for his commitment to sharing Moroccan and Amazigh culture and traditions through art.
Forbes listed the Moroccan designer in their Middle East 30 Under 30 issue as “one of the most influential designers to watch” in 2019. In the same year, the Amsterdam Culture Business Award lauded the designer as “a Moroccan designer in Europe showcasing the bridges between Arab and Western cultures.”
The Moroccan designer premiered his first Ready-to-Wear collection at the Autumn/Winter 19/20 Paris Fashion Week. The collection, called “Maktub,” explores the idea of destiny using traditional Moroccan fabrics and prints.
“The story of Karim Adduchi and his designs is not just his anymore, it belongs to everyone searching for a way of drowning out the silence of languages and cultures that do not understand them,” the profile on the designer’s web page explains.