Our Story
Our Story
Hello,
I’m Amina, the founder and director of Boho Sahara. I live in the city of Nottingham with my Husband and three beautiful children.
Having come from a rich cultural heritage, I have always enjoyed the beauty and story behind traditional customs and aesthetics. These interests led me to visit Morocco a few years ago where I fell in love with the incredible history, design and craftsmanship of the Moroccan people.
During the pandemic I watched as Morocco became deeply affected by Covid’s economic impacts. As I sat around the dining table homeschooling, nursing a baby and watching my husband work, I thought about my place in the world; I wondered how I could use my experiences, both professionally and personally, to support and showcase the talents of the small-scale artisans I had seen in Marrakesh. I decided that now was the time to turn my passion into action.
I worked along side a charity called British Moroccan Society (BMS) to create ethical partnerships with Moroccan makers running small independent businesses. These skilled makers collaborate with us to create the Boho Sahara collection, giving you access to the finest artisanal Moroccan products, perfect for your boho inspired home.
Amina
Founder & Director
Care
We initially worked with UK charity BMS to establish ethical and sustainable partnerships with some of Morocco’s finest artisans. BMS have been operating for over 35 years working with local villages in and around the Atlas Mountains and in the heart of Marrakesh, creating business partnerships with the UK, to promote Morocco’s craft and culture. We wanted to empower individuals to grow their businesses, in turn creating a positive impact on whole families and communities.
We have now expanded our reach and work with artisans in Turkey and India; forming ethical partnerships with individual makers and local social enterprises to create ethical, culturally sensitive partnerships.
Culture
Helping small artisanal businesses to flourish ensures the preservation of skills and techniques passed down through generations of makers and enables them to hand their legacy of craftsmanship down to future generations. We want to embrace and celebrate the heritage of each design. We want to bring colour, texture and style into your home while honouring the culture and history of the people who make each piece. We want to recognise and appreciate each of the cultures our products originate from.
Creativity
We work with individual, self employed artisans with a breadth of skills; rug making, leather working, fabric weaving, basket and bag weaving as well as metal working. We are passionate about our relationships with all our makers; none more so than our female weavers. The designs the women create are an outpouring of their thoughts, ideas and artistic talents. Our weavers have autonomy to produce designs authentic to their artistic vision and cultural heritage and we are privileged to hand pick or commission each individual piece for the Boho Sahara collection.
What's in a name?
The name Boho Sahara was a combining of loves - Boho for my love of bohemian inspired design and Sahara after my only daughter. It also reflects the beauty, wildness and arid nature of the Moroccan landscape.
