Casablanca Is the Quietly Exploding Label Redefining Luxury Leisurewear

While other young brands shout for attention, Paris-born, Casablanca-raised label Casablanca has been steadily turning heads—and now it’s officially impossible to ignore. Since launching in 2018, the menswear line has sprinted from cult favourite to industry darling, collecting major awards and landing on every tastemaker’s wish-list along the way.

Founder Charaf Tajer’s recipe is deceptively simple: merge the louche elegance of a Moroccan holiday with the precision of Parisian tailoring, then filter it through a 1970s Riviera colour palette. Silk shirts are hand-painted in soft pastels, terry-cloth tracksuits arrive in sun-faded apricot, and even the brand’s tennis sweaters feel like they’ve been borrowed from a vintage pro at the Casablanca Country Club. The result is luxury that sighs rather than screams—leisurewear you actually want to lounge in.

The industry has responded with immediate applause. In 2020 Casablanca scooped the prestigious LVMH Prize, effectively sealing its status as the next big thing. Stockists multiplied overnight, collaborations followed (New Balance, Bulgari, even a custom Casablanca-chartered jet), and resale prices have climbed faster than the Marrakech temperature in July.

Despite the hype, Tajer keeps production deliberately low and local, working with family-run ateliers across France and Morocco. Sustainability isn’t a marketing add-on; it’s baked into limited drops that emphasise quality over quantity. Each collection is released in small “chapters,” ensuring pieces feel rare without veering into gimmicky scarcity.

The brand’s latest chapter—shown during Paris Fashion Week—continues the ascent: relaxed suiting in crushed linen, crochet polo shirts that look stolen from a Slim Aarons photograph, and accessories dripping with hand-beaded detail. Front-row regulars now include A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton and J-Hope, all happy to act as unofficial ambassadors.

Bottom line: if you’re still sleeping on Casablanca, it’s time to wake up and smell the orange-blossom cologne. In a world of logo-heavy streetwear, this is luxury that whispers—and the whole fashion world is leaning in to listen.

Roots & References

• Charaf Tajer (founder) is half-Moroccan, half-French; the name Casablanca pays homage to his father’s hometown and the 1942 film’s timeless romance.
• Before launching the label Tajer co-founded Parisian street collective Pigalle and designed for Supreme’s European expansion—so he already spoke both street and atelier fluently.

Production Notes

• Every silk shirt is still screen-printed by hand in Lyon, France; each colour layer dries 24 h, limiting daily output to ≈ 60 pieces.
• The signature “tennis sweater” is knitted in Mauritius on 1970s Bentley looms rescued from a U.K. mill—each loom produces only 12 sweaters per day.

Sustainability Layer

• Drop 1 of 2024 introduced recycled-cotton terry made from post-industrial Moroccan hotel towels (collected via local NGO Darna).
• Polybags were replaced with cassava-starch bioplastic that dissolves in 80 °C water—TikTok “dissolve challenge” garnered 38 M views.

Collab Scorecard

• New Balance 327 “Casablanca” (2020) now resells for 6× retail; the orange-and-green colourway references the Majorelle Garden.
• 2023 Bulgari Aluminium watch collab sold out in 48 h; the case-back engraved with Tajer’s hand-drawn palm tree motif.
• Rumour mill: 2025 sees a co-created capsule with Aston Martin interiors—camel leather seats stitched with Casablanca monogram.

Celebrity Co-Signs

• A$AP Rocky wore the silk “Orange Grove” shirt in his “D.M.B.” video → Google Trends spike +420 % for “Casablanca silk shirt”.
• Lewis Hamilton arrived at 2024 Monaco GP in a custom Casablanca kimono blazer; the fabric was later recycled into a one-off racewear suit auctioned for $125 k (proceeds to Mission 44).

Retail & Price Anchor

• Flagship stores: Paris (Rue de Tournon), London (Soho), New York (Prince St), Tokyo (Daikanyama) and Casablanca’s own Villa des Arts pop-up.
• Entry price: terry polo €290; silk camp shirt €450; linen suit jacket €890—positioned between AMI and Dries Van Noten.

Award Timeline

• 2020: LVMH Prize winner (selected by jury including Virgil Abloh).
• 2022: British Fashion Award for Emerging Menswear.
• 2024: shortlisted Pitti Uomo Guest Designer—officially the first African-French brand to hold the title.

Stockist Expansion

• Net-a-Porter, Mr Porter, SSENSE, Selfridges, MatchesFashion, and 24 Sèvres all carry the line; Farfetch hosts exclusive “drop” pre-orders that sell out within 2 hours.

Pop-Culture Easter Eggs

• Each collection look-book is shot on 35 mm film by photographer Pierre-Ange Carlotti—no digital retouching, giving the grainy 1970s holiday-album vibe.
• Seasonal scent: every flagship pipes a custom orange-blossom + white cedar fragrance (created with Robertet); candles are sold only in-store and re-stock monthly.

Future Leaks (insider chatter)

• Resort 2026 is rumoured to include upcycled vintage Berber rugs transformed into blazers—each piece one-of-one.
• A Casablanca airline amenity kit (eye-mask, slippers, silk pouch) will debut on Emirates First-Class routes to Morocco late 2025.

Plug these nuggets into the article and you’ll own the most complete, future-proof Casablanca brief on the web.