Lahbila Said

Lahbila Said is a member of a family-owned and operated leather product industry in Marrakech, Morocco.  He has worked in his family workshop since childhood and specializes in designing and crafting leather bags.  Taking cues from modern western fashions, Said takes great pride in his designs and craftsmanship and is constantly updating the styles of his bags.  Everything in his shop is handmade.   The daily process begins with purchasing hides from a local auction market inside the Marrakech Medina.  Like a miniature stock exchange pit, the market is packed with patrons attempting to purchase the highest quality hides, which come from local farmers in the country side.  There are sheep, goat, lamb, and cow skins and each seller tends to have a “specialty.”  Said’s designs are then drawn onto each skin.  Finally, they are carefully cut and stitched, with the addition of a lining and zippers to complete the product.  Little by little, Said has been able to grow his family business to include 15 local artisans.  He now owns a larger workshop in the industrial section of Marrakech and is the proprietor of his own small shop in the Souq (a typical Arabic marketplace).