Our Story

Our story began in 2015 when Ilham Saadane, the Founder of Zey, moved from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) to embark on her career as a Data Analyst in Clinical Research. Although Ilham studied and practiced Medical Engineering, her heart always had a beat for fashion, especially Moroccan fashion. As a child, she spent most of her days at her Mother’s (Naima, Co-Founder of Zey) atelier in Morocco, to her it was a heavenly place where beautiful designs are born. It is there where she fell in love with Moroccan Fashion.

Ilham has always been fascinated by Moroccan handicraft and the craftsmen who create masterpieces of art using just their hands. These artisans do not only have a long and honored history but an artistic and creative talent in seamlessly blending the Berber, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, African and Andalusian artistic traditions in their work. These traditions are until today, in this rushed 21st century, handed down from father to son and mother to daughter in order to sustain the Moroccan artistic traditions. In Morocco, craftsmen and craftswomen competed fiercely with modern mechanical technology but were always able to survive, unlike their brethren counterparts in other parts of the world that have easily lost the battle to modern and advanced machines. This artesian dedication together with the inherited skills across generation, enabled craftsmen to continue producing the finest handmade designs in the world. And Zey is here to give you the honor of owning and wearing these unique pieces.