--- title: Meet Studio ASSAÏS date: 2026-06-08T16:01:00+02:00 author: Nina Swaep canonical_url: "https://hetindustriegebouw.nl/en/community/news/meet-studio-assaïs/" section: Articles --- ![Meet Studio ASSAÏS](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_1800x880_crop_center-center_90_none/Schermafbeelding-2026-06-08-om-16.08.27.png) [ Interviews ](https://hetindustriegebouw.nl/en/community/interviews/)# Meet Studio ASSAÏS His artistic journey began around three years ago, but his entrepreneurial journey only started a year ago—at exactly the same time that Mohamed el Massoudi arrived at Het Industriegebouw. “With Studio Assäis,” he says. “As-sé-jish. I was looking for a place where I could bring my dream to life—an environment entirely dedicated to making this project a reality. I still remember my first tour of the building and thinking: yes, this is it! I can feel my creativity flowing here.” *Curious about the workspaces in our building? Explore all our available* [*workspaces and offices*](https://hetindustriegebouw.nl/work-spaces/)*, or get in touch to discuss the possibilities.* ## **From data analyst to fashion designer** “My moment of inspiration came in Sardinia. I was walking along the city walls of Alghero when I spotted a shop belonging to internationally renowned fashion designer Antonio Marras. He had stores in Milan and other major cities, yet still wanted to remain *in touch* with his roots. Everything fell into place—it moved me deeply!” “You see, I’ve already lived many different lives, so to speak. What began with studying Sociology led to a job in psychiatry. Don’t ask me how, but after that I went to England to study Environmental Science, and when I returned to the Netherlands, I began working in spatial planning. After a while, I retrained as a data analyst,” he says with a grin. “I’m also a family caregiver, looking after several relatives who are going through difficult times.” “I enjoyed all those careers, but I also realised that I had a deep longing to reconnect with Morocco, the country where I was born, and with my grandparents there. I was four when I came to the Netherlands, and not all my memories are happy ones. At some point, my desire to create more positive associations became very strong,” he says wistfully. “The best way for me to express that was through something artistic, and as I explored it further, I found fashion. My grandparents’ clothing, for example, is one of the most tangible things I remember about them. By dressing as they did—but in my own modern way—I felt more connected to them. What I was looking for wasn’t available here, so I had to create it myself. That was the beginning of Studio Assaïs.” “I started sketching, and everyone I showed my work to said, ‘Mohamed, you have to do something with this!’ That certainly gave my confidence a boost,” he says. “But I’m also commercially minded. I love being creative, but I don’t have the luxury of a family that can support me financially. Whatever I do, I need to be able to make a living from it.” “That’s why I decided to look for a business partner. I met Rabbab through an online platform for creatives. She lives and works in Casablanca, but we clicked immediately. She always says, ‘You’re the chef; I help you in the kitchen.’ She has a point, but she’s the one with the expertise in sewing techniques and an understanding of what is and isn’t technically feasible.” ## **Djellabas for everyone** Mohamed opens his design portfolio: “My debut collection consists of djellabas and complementary pieces. I designed them according to the modernist principle that form follows function. When I think about how I want to wear one, for example, it’s important that I can cycle in it. I create them from the perspective of my own heritage, but I want to make them available to everyone—a kind of reverse *cultural appropriation*,” he says with a laugh. “Whether you want to wear one to the mosque or to Ibiza, see it as a work of art or wear it as a laid-back outfit—it makes no difference to me. And the wonderful thing is that all of those possibilities work. We play with different influences: Moroccan, Dutch, Japanese and Scandinavian. All my favourite elements come together in the designs. They’re also gender-neutral and intended for anyone who wants to wear them.” ## **From portfolio to launch** “Designing was only the first phase. Once the portfolio is complete, the journey to market begins—and that’s when things become really exciting. Behind the scenes, I’m carefully preparing our online launch. These days, you only get one opportunity to introduce yourself online, and I want to seize that moment when it coincides with the debut collection appearing ‘in the wild’.” Mohamed looks proud: “The branding flows naturally from the brand itself. Assaïs is an oasis in southern Morocco. Some time ago, I read a book about different forms of dance within Berber culture and discovered that Assaïs was the birthplace of one of those dances. Although I’ve never actually been there, Assaïs has taken on a life of its own in my mind as an imaginary place to which I often retreat. Every aspect of the brand emerges from my vision of that place. Assaïs is my *happy place*, filled with childhood memories of the Mediterranean, an abundance of botanical life and rich fauna. With every artistic or commercial step I take, I first ask myself: does this belong within Assaïs? So far, there’s still plenty of room,” he says, his eyes sparkling playfully. “The timeline I’ve mapped out for myself is as follows: I want to begin sharing the first campaign communications this summer. The campaign will centre on the Kickstarter project and include a *retail collaboration*. In other words, while the crowdfunding campaign is running, people will be able to see, touch and try on my designs in person. I’m currently speaking with a potential partner,” Mohamed says mysteriously. “And I can be rather bold, so I hope that will take me a long way.” “I initially had all sorts of idealistic ideas about sustainable production in the Netherlands, but the quality of pattern-making and its standardisation here simply isn’t sufficient. So I’m now exploring the Portuguese market. I don’t want efficiency to come at the expense of quality, which means I’ll have to make some compromises. I’m not particularly fond of doing that, but anything for the best possible result,” Mohamed says with a wink. Mohamed continues: “My life doesn’t unfold in a straight line; it’s a winding sequence of extraordinary events and encounters. Sometimes I think, ‘Goodness, I ask for something and it happens! What have I done to deserve that?’ It’s certainly not always easy, but it’s wonderful to see how good intentions continually find their way back into my life. I put that positive energy into my designs as well. I make them timeless, combining different elements until they transcend cultural boundaries. Studio Assaïs brings worlds closer together, and with a little luck, people will experience that as a feeling of comfort and ease—a little like wearing an oasis.” ![](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_1120x630_crop_center-center_90_none/Schermafbeelding-2026-06-08-om-16.07.19.png) ![](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_1120x630_crop_center-center_90_none/Schermafbeelding-2026-06-08-om-16.07.26.png) ![](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_1120x630_crop_center-center_90_none/Schermafbeelding-2026-06-08-om-16.06.47.png) [ ![](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_910x600_crop_center-center_90_none/2026%E2%80%9304%E2%80%9328_HIG_349.jpg) #### Interviews ### Catch of the Decade: Cristèl Klandermans ](https://hetindustriegebouw.nl/en/community/news/catch-of-the-decade-crist%C3%A8l-klandermans/) [ ![](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_910x600_crop_center-center_90_none/Schermafbeelding-2026-07-21-om-11.28.40.png) #### Interviews ### In conversation with 220PR ](https://hetindustriegebouw.nl/en/community/news/in-conversation-with-220pr/)