Born to Moroccan parents in Cannes, Jarrar entered Paris's École Duperré at age 21 and graduated three years later, in 1994.
Career
From 1994, Jarrar honed her skills at a broad range of brands including Jean Paul Gaultier's jewellery department and Balenciaga, where she arrived in 1996 and, after being promoted by creative directorNicolas Ghesquiere, served as studio director until 2006. She has worked for lingerie brand Capucine Puerari as well as for the jewelry department of Jean Paul Gaultier. Jarrar worked on Jean Paul Gaultier’s licensed jewelry collection from 1994 until 1996 before arriving at Balenciaga under Josephus Thimister. She later worked with Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga, where she served as his studio director until 2006, helping to create ready-to-wear collections. She then worked for Scherrer for a short time, before becoming the director of Lacroix's haute couture studio, which she ran until the company filed for bankruptcy in 2009. In January 2010, Jarrar started her own brand, presenting her collections once a year, during Paris Fashion Week. The label has since become renowned for its minimal aesthetic. From 2010 to 2013, she was a guest member of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture. Since December 2013, she is an official member, her fashion house being able to use the term "haute couture". In 2015, Mode et Finance, the French venture capital firm managed by Bpifrance, made a minority investment in Jarrar’s business, with the designer holding 74 percent. In addition to her own label, Jarrar designed a high jewelry collection for Mauboussin in 2016. In March 2016, French fashion house Lanvin confirmed Jarrar had been appointed Artistic Director of the brand's women’s collection, succeeding Alber Elbaz; she closed her eponymous couture house to join the company. Jarrar showed her first resort collection in June 2016 to critical approval. She completed only two ready-to-wear collections — spring 2017 and fall 2018 — for the house before the termination of her contract. She left Lanvin after 16 months amid declining sales. In 2019, Jarrar photographed the singer Keren Ann for the cover of her album Bleue.
Bouchra Jarrar is inspired by real life, the spirit of time, and whatever she observes when she walks in Paris. She defines her house style: " My designs are simple. Outfits with trousers and not spectacular dresses that I could make… But no, I don't want "my" women to dream, I just want her to imagine herself wearing my clothes", thus referring to a wearable wardrobe. Bouchra Jarrar's style is recognized as minimalist. She once said that high fashion "must be the reflection of the street". For the fall/winter 2014-2015, she made the sportswear style look chic. "Joining Lanvin meets a desire to expend my creation to wider fields of expression," said the 45-year old designer upon the announcement. "The company's ateliers possess extraordinary expertise, and it is my intention to bring to Lanvin the harmony and consistency of a fashion designed for women, a fashion of our time."
