SOURCE: CN TRAVELLER

BY: SARAH KHAN

Hind Sebti was born and raised in the imperial city of Meknes, and brings her love for Morocco and its sensory healing traditions to her skin-care brand Whind.

This interview is part of The World Made Local, a global collaboration between the seven international editions of Condé Nast Traveller in which 100 people in 100 countries tell us why their home turf should be your next destination.

How would you describe Morocco?

It’s my home, the one that gave me everything and made me who I am, as well as taught me about beauty: the beauty of its landscape, from the Atlas Mountains to the Sahara Desert via its endless coasts that straddle the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The beauty of its architecture and craftsmanship, with its imperial medinas, impressive casbahs, Mediterranean coastal towns, and colourful Amazigh arts. The beauty of its heritage-Amazigh, Roman, Arab, Andalusian, European, African-visible everywhere in the diversity of its people, food, and art. The beauty of its traditions, customs, and rituals, its ancestral modernity, effortlessly bridging past and present, keeping the backbone of our culture alive generation after generation. The beauty of its people, with their generosity, hospitality, and happiness. Its warmth and its accepted contradictions.

How was Whind born, and how does it celebrate Morocco’s natural beauty traditions?

When I set out to build Whind, I wanted to bring to the world high-performing skin care that is rigorously science-led but also wrapped in the most sensorial experience. When it came to the formulation, I relied on my 20 years’ experience in beauty, science, and the best labs and chemists; when it came to the sensorial experience, I naturally got inspired by Morocco. A few years ago, as I lay down enjoying a wonderful hammam ritual in Morocco and delighting in the wonderful scents of rosewater and orange-blossom water and the creamy textures of the rhassoul clay, I found the answer. The sensoriality will be inspired by the joyful and transportive scents and textures of Morocco. A brand that wants to share the warmth of Morocco and our beauty point of view and culture to the world, and represent us to a global audience.

What excites you about Morocco right now?

I believe the magic of Morocco is our deep respect for beauty and traditions, and I am so proud to see new generations of Moroccan entrepreneurs taking our ancestral craftsmanship and rituals into the future so they live on forever: people like Salima Chaieb, who reinvents traditional Moroccan fabrics and techniques into the dreamiest dresses; Yousra Nichane, who brings a modern spin to our grandmothers’ traditional jewellery so we can wear it every day; or Samia Benbrahim from Yelli Jewels, with her neo-Amazigh jewellery.

And what are your all-time-favourite spots that you return to again and again?

I love Tangier. I used to spend all my summer holidays there until I was 19, but I haven’t been back in years, so I really miss it. For drinks, Al Hafa Cafe, an iconic café overlooking the bay of Tangier, has the best views; the most eclectic mix of people, from rock stars to poets to the local grandfather; and the sweetest mint tea.

Sleep at La Maison de L’Eléphant Blanc, one of the most stunning combinations of Moroccan and Mediterranean style that is also so integral to Tangier, and has breathtaking views on the Mediterranean Sea.

Tell us a secret about Morocco that we might not know…

Morocco is a place where you can feel the past, present, and future all in one moment-and that’s what makes it one of the most magical, tantalizing places. A place that transports and warms your soul.

Why should we all travel to Morocco?

There is no other place that warms your soul like Morocco – a total delight and seduction of all senses: breathtaking landscapes, world-class architecture, craftsmanship, and food.