Seven years ago in his shop in downtown Manhattan, Mohamed Elmaroof met Stephanie Rudloe when they struck up a conversation about Moroccan music. Elmaroof, whose father was a rug merchant, is a seasoned navigator of the Moroccan textile market and speaks many Berber dialects. Rudloe, a stylist/interior designer, was savvy to the world of client customization.
Respectively owner and creative director of Imports from Marrakesh, they now specialize in supplying customized Zillij tile, plaster, woodcarving, lighting, textiles, carpets and architectural elements from Morocco. Rudloe will help clients design many of these pieces, which are then produced by traditional artisans. (via Elements of Living)