About us
Doâe Benhammou is a vibrant and energetic young woman with positive vibes. She is also the President of the Alfann Al Assil cooperative and the promoter of the YTO dool project.
The idea came to her at a young age when dressing up and restyling her dolls was her favorite hobby. She would use fabric scraps from her mother's sewing workshop to create custom outfits for all the dolls that were fortunate enough to cross her path.
During her university years, this passion only grew stronger. Doâe would collect Barbie dolls from flea markets and dress them in traditional Moroccan attire. She made her first sales at craft fairs, using the proceeds to finance her higher education until she earned her diploma and entered the business world. After spending 7 years working "seriously," Doâe plunged back into the magical world of dolls, dedicating herself entirely to her childhood passion, especially with the challenges brought by the pandemic.
With the help of her mother and mentor, they created a collection of 70 dolls representing all regions of Morocco. As the collection grew, becoming too large for the small sewing cooperative workshop, Doâe bravely embarked on the YTO project: The Moroccan Doll Workshop. Her ambition is for YTO to become the reference for Moroccan dolls, paying tribute to the diversity of Moroccan women, men, and the richness of Moroccan heritage.
Doâe is now known in the flea markets of her region, where she is addressed with a very professional title: "moulat el poupyates!" This is where she hunts for dolls and accessories. She collaborates with artisans who provide her with miniatures, such as keychain makers supplying her with miniatures like chachya (traditional headgear) and babouche (traditional slippers). In each region, she takes a piece of local fabric, a mendil when she is in Chefchaouen, ornamental sheets (l7afi) and derra3iate when she visits Laâyoune, cutting them into small pieces as she pleases. She also works with traditional tailors who create custom embroidery on miniature kaftans. In short, each doll represents an entire ecosystem of craftsmanship that collaborates and converges in the YTO workshop in Khmissat, serving dolls that bring joy to both children and the young at heart.
Doâe Benhammou is a laureate
of the MADAEF ECO6 program.