Parisian-born Charaf Tajer is one of the 20 fashion designers tipped to win the LVMH prize for 2020, an award launched in 2013 by a French multinational luxury goods conglomerate headquartered in Paris. Through his label CASABLANCA, the Moroccan designer is one of the semi-finalists expected to win MAD1.2 million this year. The award is meant to help young designers support their labels and get the needed assistance to strengthen their position in the industry. Tajer launched his label in 2018 and named it after Casablanca, a city where his parents met, The National wrote on Sunday. CASABLANCA is a menswear label with designs that bring together France and Morocco. In 2018, Tajer told Vogue magazine that it is «a French brand with a souvenir of Morocco», adding that «Casablanca to [him] is always a word that sounds like vacation». Indeed, the brand is produced in both Morocco and France, with shirt that include summery prints. The LVMH's list, which includes Charaf Tajer, will be whittled down to eight finalists during the upcoming Paris Fashion Week, scheduled for the end of February. The competition's final winner will be announced in June.
