Morocco: Imane Belmkaddem, at the top of fashion industry in Sweden

Passionate about art and fashion, Imane Belmkaddem is a Moroccan woman who stands out in the Swedish fashion world. Since 2019, she has been the organizer of the Stockholm International Fashion Fair and the representative for Sweden and North Africa on the European Fashion Council.

As the daughter of a painter, Imane Belmkaddem naturally developed a passion for art and fashion from her childhood. As a child, she was fascinated by her paternal grandmother’s style of dress, particularly her jewellery, accessories and clothes.

At barely 15 years old, her passion for art and fashion led her to embark on youth cultural projects in her hometown Rabat. At the same time, she developed a penchant for communication during her high school years. Although she was originally very shy, she finally realized her public speaking skills after joining an international NGO where she learnt to socialize. After graduating, she decided to study communication at university. 

After a DUT in Marketing and communication in 2010, she flew to Canada where she pursued her studies in media communication. She specialized in event management and worked as a radio and television host and producer. She hosted a weekly show on Centre-ville de Montréal radio station and was also responsible for the coordination, production, direction and broadcasting. At the same time, she embarked on a career as a master of ceremonies, organizing and hosting cultural events, festivals, concerts, etc.

Heading to Sweden and rise in the fashion industry

In 2017, following a professional promotion of her husband in Sweden, she moved to the country. Once there, she decided to learn Swedish at all costs. This allowed her to continue to practice her passions, namely communication, events and culture. In a short time, she embarked on new professional adventures in the country and saw many of her dreams finally come true.  

In 2019, she founded InTerArt, an event and public relations company. At the same time, she initiated the Stockholm International Fashion Fair (STOIFF), which is a fashion show and exhibition concept aimed at exploring cultures through fashion and highlighting creativity, personal expression and ingenuity. An event that also aims to promote fashion designers from all over the world and cultures in Sweden. In November 2020, due to the covid 19 pandemic, the event was held online.

She also launched the Stockholm International Digital Fashion Days and co-founded Taragalte Stockholm, a Moroccan-Swedish fashion brand that brings together the two cultures together in its creations.

In September 2020, in the context of Covid 19, the American channel FLN Network appointed her as the official representative in the Scandinavian countries for its international digital Fashion Week. An event that brings together the biggest names in fashion such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Elie Saab Dsquared2, Elisabetta Franchi, Christian Siriano, Alberta Ferretti, julien Fournié, Smalto, The Blonds etc. “I was happy and proud to be their official representative in Scandinavia and North Africa. What makes me prouder is to be able to introduce and give the chance to Moroccan designers and brands to participate alongside the biggest international brands, especially since this event extends over a period of six months,” she confided to Africa Women Experts.

For the past few years, she has also been the official representative for Sweden and North Africa on the European Fashion Council, a non-governmental organisation authorised to represent the European Union in the fashion world. “When I joined this prestigious institution, I thought of including Africa little by little, starting with the North African region and hoping to include more African countries. My objective is to make African talent known and open doors to other horizons and exchanges in Europe and the whole world”, she told Africa Women Experts.

Today, Imane Belmkaddem is preparing a cultural project between Morocco and Sweden and an international fashion event in southern Morocco at the end of 2021.