Videos

powerful materials

The magic of amber

Here is a short video zooming on one particular material: amber. Amber has been prized since Antiquity for its magical capacities.

I’m showing a beautiful necklace from the Draa Valley in Morocco, and I address the most powerful aspect of its chunky amber beads!

More on the magical properties of amber can be found here on the blog!

step by step

How to pin a fibula

By popular request, I’m breaking down step by step how to fasten a clothing pin in this video.

I’m showing Tunisian fibulas called khlel here, but the basic principle is similar for all pins with a ring closure. These exist in various sizes, as you’ll see. Clothing pins are used throughout North Africa, and every tribe, region or even village has its own style. They are very much part of a collective identity, and not mere fashion accessories.

Note that these are often sturdy pins, designed to heep heavy fabrics together. I’m using a light fabric in the video, and the size of the pin leaves permanent holes in it.

That is by the way also informative: the size and weight of the pin are very telling about the type of fabric it was used on!