Fashionistas at the wheel: Meet the female biker gangs of Marrakech

Editor’s Note: This article was previously published in 2014. It was updated and republished in 2017.

CNN  — 

This October, London’s Somerset House opens a sprawling retrospective dedicated to Hassan Hajjaj, the British-Moroccan artist known for his colorful, eclectic portraits that explore tradition, culture and identity.

One of Hajjaj’s most arresting exhibitions, 2014’s “Kesh Angels” at the Taymour Grahne Gallery in New York, focused on the street style of Marrakesh’s boldest female cyclists.

The word “motorcycle” often conjures up images of tattooed men wearing black leather jackets. Not so in Marrakech. The city’s thriving bike culture includes plenty of women. With their polka dot veils and heart-shaped sunglasses, they’re steering motorcycle fashion in their own direction. Revisit CNN’s interview with the artist about the series in the gallery above.

“Hassan Hajjaj: La Caravane” is on at Somerset House in London from Oct. 5, 2017 to Jan. 7, 2018.