For Casablanca, the Franco-Moroccan fashion house celebrated for its luxurious leisurewear and sun-drenched optimism, opening a store in Beverly Hills is more than a commercial milestone — it’s a statement of belonging. The new flagship marks the brand’s first permanent presence in the United States and only its second boutique globally, following its original Paris location.

Founder and creative director Charaf Tajer has long drawn inspiration from Los Angeles, describing the city as a place that embodies both contradiction and clarity — “a land of light, but also of shadow.” From the palm-lined streets of Beverly Hills to the skateparks of Venice Beach, the city’s hybrid identity — glamour meets grit — mirrors Casablanca’s own blend of refinement and street vitality.

This opening is, in many ways, the physical manifestation of Tajer’s recurring muse: the idea of travel as transformation, of cultural exchange as aesthetic evolution.

dialogue

Located in a former bank on Beverly Drive, the new store is a piece of LA history reborn through Casablanca’s lens. The building retains its classical grandeur: marble floors, high vaulted ceilings, and ornate arches that recall a bygone era of architectural confidence. Tajer and Brand Art Director Steve Grimes approached the renovation as an act of translation rather than replacement.

“We wanted to keep the soul of the space,” Tajer explains. “Casablanca is about love — for materials, for craftsmanship, for culture. LA has that same energy; it’s cinematic but very human.”

To that end, the duo preserved the structural essence — the arched windows, the polished stone — but infused it with the brand’s warm palette of blush tones, mint greens, and sun-gold accents. Natural light pours through the arches, reflecting off mirrors and brass detailing to create a perpetual golden hour.

Custom rugs, sculptural seating, and handcrafted wooden displays form the stage for Casablanca’s garments — silk shirts, pastel denim, and finely tailored tracksuits that have become modern symbols of Riviera nostalgia. The overall atmosphere evokes a cross between a gallery and a lounge — elegant but approachable, disciplined yet dreamlike.

flow

Sound is central to the brand’s world. Tajer, a former DJ and nightlife impresario, believes music is not merely accompaniment but architecture for emotion. The Beverly Hills boutique features a bespoke sound system tuned specifically for the space, allowing each corner to resonate differently depending on the hour.

“This is not just a store; it’s an environment,” says Grimes. “We built it so that sound, scent, and texture all speak to each other.”

Casablanca’s sensorial identity — a modern echo of Mediterranean modernism — continues in its choice of materials: travertine stone, French oak, brushed aluminum, and hand-woven Moroccan textiles. Each element contributes to the harmony between heritage and innovation, reflecting the same balance Tajer seeks in his collections.

narrative

Casablanca’s expansion into the U.S. market has been gradual but deliberate. Since its founding in 2018, the brand has cultivated a devoted following among those who value craftsmanship as much as charisma. The Paris flagship, opened in 2023, established the brand’s retail blueprint — a fusion of art-deco elegance and sun-kissed optimism.

Los Angeles, with its reputation as a global nexus of entertainment, creativity, and cultural reinvention, was a natural next step. Tajer has often described LA as “Casablanca’s spiritual sister,” a city where dreamers and doers coexist in delicate tension.

For him, the parallels are deeply personal. His Moroccan heritage and French upbringing already placed him between worlds. Los Angeles, he says, completes the triangle — the “third point of light” connecting North Africa, Europe, and America.

inside

Visitors entering the store are met by a large marble reception table, designed to resemble the lobby of a grand Mediterranean hotel. Above it hangs a chandelier inspired by vintage Italian lighting, suspended beneath a skylight that floods the space with natural illumination.

Along the walls, clothing racks curve gently in brass arcs, showcasing Casablanca’s signature silks, crochet polos, and tailored trousers. In the rear, a lounge area furnished with velvet armchairs and a turntable invites guests to pause, listen, and absorb the ambience.

The space is punctuated with floral arrangements — Casablanca lilies, naturally — and occasional bursts of citrus scent. Everything from the playlist to the lighting temperature changes subtly throughout the day, aligning with the rhythm of Beverly Hills itself.

“Morning feels like a resort,” says Tajer. “Evening feels like a club. The idea is to experience the brand in motion.”

culture

Tajer’s fascination with LA’s subcultures — skateboarding, Chicano art, film, architecture — finds quiet expression throughout the space. The boutique’s window displays reference mid-century modern façades, while small ceramic works nod to Mexican craftsmanship. The store’s color gradients mimic the transition from beach sand to city asphalt.

Casablanca’s artistic approach, often described as “post-sportswear elegance,” thrives on such cultural juxtapositions. In the same way that Tajer merges tailoring with leisurewear, he also fuses visual languages: Moroccan mosaic with Bauhaus geometry, Californian light with Parisian poise.

This “harmony of paradoxes,” as he calls it, defines Casablanca’s visual and emotional world — a meditation on the coexistence of opposites.

the evolve

The Beverly Hills opening arrives at a time when luxury retail is being reimagined. As more consumers seek experiential spaces over transactional ones, brands like Casablanca are responding with concepts that blend art, hospitality, and lifestyle.

Rather than simply display clothes, the store performs them — through light, sound, and scent. It is both a sales floor and a sanctuary, reflecting a broader industry shift toward immersive branding.

“People don’t want to buy clothes; they want to buy into a feeling,” Tajer notes. “That feeling — of freedom, of beauty, of optimism — that’s what Casablanca offers.”

style

The store’s opening weekend drew a cross-section of LA’s creative community — designers, musicians, skaters, and filmmakers — many of whom have been longtime supporters of the brand. The event included a private dinner and a live DJ set curated by Tajer himself, blending disco, funk, and Mediterranean house.

Casablanca plans to use the Beverly Hills space as a hub for ongoing collaborations and cultural programming. Upcoming activations include artist residencies, capsule releases, and small exhibitions focused on photography and craftsmanship.

The goal, Tajer emphasizes, is not only to sell but to create dialogue. “Casablanca has always been about connecting worlds,” he says. “In LA, that means connecting fashion with art, architecture, and everyday life.”

vision

For Casablanca, global expansion does not mean abandoning intimacy. Each store, Tajer insists, must feel personal — like entering a friend’s home rather than a franchise.

In this sense, Beverly Hills represents not just growth but grounding: a place where the brand’s philosophy can live and breathe outside Europe. The store serves as a canvas for Casablanca’s next chapter, one that extends its aesthetic language into a new cultural context while retaining its core: the pursuit of beauty through craftsmanship and emotion.

impression

As Casablanca continues to expand its presence in key cities around the world — Tokyo, Dubai, and New York are rumored to be next — the Beverly Hills flagship sets a clear tone for what luxury can mean in 2025 and beyond.

It’s not about exclusivity for its own sake, but about inclusion through elegance — an invitation to share in a world of radiant leisure and cultural curiosity.

Tajer’s Los Angeles is not the cliché of palm trees and red carpets, but a living collage of energy, diversity, and imperfection. “There’s something very honest about LA,” he says. “It’s a city that always tries to be beautiful, even when it’s not. That’s Casablanca.”

No comments yet.