Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Salaheddine Benyoussef . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Salaheddine , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

We started Moroccan Prestige in 2005. Inspiration? A desire to preserved the techniques and high workmanship of Moroccan handicrafted for generations to come. Supporting local artisans and the communities in which they reside in was another impetus for starting Moroccan Prestige. We love the idea of introducing high quality Moroccan furniture and home accent and decor to our clients that they won’t find anywhere else.

Salaheddine , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

It all started with traveling. Travel is an important inspiration. Traveling not only between Morocco and the US but also around the world reminds us of the commonalities that we share as people, and the distinctive perspectives desires that make us unique. During our travels, especially to Europe, we noticed Many elements from Morocco are infused in the design industry as well in the lifestyle, whether a piece of furniture, a pouf, tiles, a tagine, a Moroccan Caftan or a tunic, or even a Moroccan spice. Most of time Every house or venue we visited there will be something that is Moroccan. We felt proud to see the work of Moroccan artisans reaching this part of the world and inspired us to bring this Moroccan trend to the US. In 2005 my wife and I started Moroccan Prestige. An important impetus to start Moroccan Prestige is the desire to preserve the techniques of Moroccan handicrafts for generations to come and supporting local artisans and the communities they reside. Our Moroccan American heritage plays an important role in all what we do. We love the idea of acting as a bridge between the two countries. We love the idea of working with Our US design team and Moroccan artisans to introduce high-quality, handcrafted Moroccan furniture and accessories to fit contemporary lifestyle. Living in Manhattan gave us some opportunities for networking. We participated few times in flea markets in Chelsea; we met designers who motivated us to continue with our mission. We listened to every advice; we took every critic into consideration. We felt the need of having a brick and mortar and a website to showcase our products and services, and we were fortunate to find a spot in Chelsea which gave us more opportunities to interact with designers, event planners, people from the entertainment industry (including actors and set decorators). We sponsored so many events to make our name stand out. Soon we started participating in national and international shows like the NYNOW trade show and we were able to brand our company and we became a source for high-quality contemporary and traditional Moroccan products.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

We working with small budget; we opened a brick and mortal in Chelsea Area in NYC. It was a hot spot and introduced us to so many designers the we invested in trade shows and a website with SEO. The show enabled us to meet buyers and designers and we managed to open many accounts. We had to build a good website to feature our products.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Our first trade show in NY. We were on the waiting list and called at last minute and proposed to us a large space. We took it without hesitation despite the cost was so high. We did not have any show experience; we had to go for it. We set up the booth ourselves; no booth design experience. We were there for five day and we did not take not even a single order. It was not discouraging; we looked at this experience from the positive side of it. It was definitely a learning experience. We observed everything and definitely prepared us for the next shows. We became a go to booth for Moroccan products and we built good relations with buyers and designers.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.moroccanprestige.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moroccan.prestige/?hl=en

Image Credits
Moroccan Prestige Inc