On Thursday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m., guest curator Marcella Wells will present “The Allure of the Moroccan Caftan” in the Avenir Museum classroom, rm. 157.  Come early, and visit the galleries before the lecture. The lecture is FREE and open to the public.

Wells will discuss how the North African caftan evolved over centuries as practical apparel before exploding over the past twenty years onto Morocco’s high fashion scene, as history, geography, craftsmanship, national pride, and tradition all contributed to the caftan’s contemporary allure. Wells will present a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse into her development of the current Avenir Museum exhibition: “The Allure of the Moroccan Caftan.” How does one distill centuries of North African textile heritage and cultural apparel evolution, consider the influence of shifting political sands, incorporate twentieth century French couturier Yves Saint Laurent, and figure out how to proofread Arabic – all to tell the short story of the Moroccan caftan in 600 feet of exhibition space?

Wells will talk about what she learned along the way…and you can try on a caftan!

The Avenur Museum of Design and Merchandising is located at 216 East Lake St.

The Avenir Museum is part of the Department of Design and Merchandising in CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.