Creative Direction Consulting, project by project
Personal involvement, from start to finish
Since 1997, my primary trade has been the creation of home linens, fashion accessories, and artisanal textiles in Marrakech: it is this experience that fuels every consulting mission I accept.
For over twenty-five years, I have alternated between creation, production, and creative direction in very different contexts: Morocco, India, Egypt, Belgium, Vietnam. The studio and the external project constantly nourish one another.
Creative direction: recent missions, sector by sector
Each mission stems from a specific need and a creative process built on-site. Here are several recent examples, from a boat on the Nile to a retirement home in Brussels.
Hospitality and travel destinations: the Steam Ship Sudan
In 2024, Voyageurs du Monde entrusted me with a hospitality textile design and consulting mission for the Steam Ship Sudan, a steamship built in 1885 that now sails between Luxor and Aswan. The mission covers bed, bath, and table linens, uniforms for the eight trades on board, upholstery for the exterior decks, the design of a boutique, and the sourcing of amenities.
Beyond textiles, the mission fostered an entire artisanal sector in Egypt: identifying artisans, opening workshops in Cairo and Luxor, and training an internal staff member to ensure continuity. Eighteen months after the launch, the sector is thriving and the boutique has opened its doors.
→ Read the full story of the mission
Brand identity: No-Mad 97% India
In 2011, Anuj Kothari entrusted me with the complete creative direction of No-Mad 97% India: I started from a blank page to build the identity of this Indian lifestyle brand—visual identity, product range, brand narrative. I built the identity around red and Nandi, the sacred bull, and reinterpreted everyday Indian objects—muddah stools, charpoy beds, aluminum containers—into design pieces.
The brand established itself on the Indian design scene from its launch in 2013: the muddah stool I reinterpreted won an EDIDA (Elle Decor International Design Award) that same year, followed by a second EDIDA in 2015 for the thali tray, presented at the Design ID fair in New Delhi—a double recognition covered by the Indian and international press. No-Mad opened its first boutique in 2018, in the Mangaldas cloth market in Mumbai. I accompanied the brand for nine years, until 2020.
→ Read the full story of the project
Private residence in Marrakech: Sadek House
In 2021, I was hired for the interior design of a private house in Marrakech, already remodeled by an architect and its owner. After visiting the site, I proposed taking over the entire project: space distribution, openings, stairs, fireplaces. With architect Quentin Wilbaux and an intern architect, Yumi, I handled the creative direction of the project. I supervised the construction site alone, day by day, on-site.
Institutions and cultural projects: Maison Gertrude
Maison Gertrude is an art center located within the Sainte-Gertrude residence, a retirement home in the Marolles district of Brussels, led by artist Mohamed El Khatib in partnership with the Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles. I am currently working on the design of a new kind of uniform for the staff: design, feasibility study, and prototype implementation.
A selective commitment
I don’t solicit anyone. Projects come to me, and I only keep 10 to 20% of them.
I choose my missions with care and invest myself fully: a year and a half for the Steam Ship Sudan, nine years for No-Mad. Each mission is custom-built, starting from an on-site diagnosis.
I value my freedom, and I want my clients to keep theirs: I accompany, I do not take over.
When a project truly interests me, I commit to it without reservation—to the point of staying on-site for several months if that is what it requires.
When time permits, I also offer my skills to projects that carry a meaningful message: pro bono consulting, one-off creations. The approach must be sincere and the project must make sense.
FAQ
What types of projects does Valérie Barkowski support as a creative direction consultant?
Essentially several families of projects: hospitality and travel destinations (such as the Steam Ship Sudan), brand identity creation (such as No-Mad 97% India), private residences (such as Sadek House), and institutions or cultural projects (such as Maison Gertrude).
How long does a creative consulting mission last?
It depends entirely on the project: a year and a half for the Steam Ship Sudan textile mission, nine years for my creative direction of No-Mad. Some missions focus on a specific segment, while others develop over time.
Does Valérie Barkowski only work in Morocco?
No. Her studio and creative practice remain based in Marrakech, but her consulting missions have taken her to Egypt, India, Vietnam, and Belgium, depending on the projects. If a project truly interests her, she is ready to stay on-site for several months.
How to contact Valérie Barkowski for a creative consulting project?
By email at info@valeriebarkowski.com, describing the project and its context. Consulting missions are selected on a case-by-case basis.
Conclusion
A hospitality project, a brand to build, a house to rethink, an institution to support: each mission begins with an on-site diagnosis and is then built case by case.
→ Discover Riad Dar Kawa, a long-term creative project
