On Oct.31st and Nov.1st, over some 30 leading fashion and jewelry retailers and ateliers alongside the crop of Cairo’s emerging young designers joined forces with PASHION magazine to put on stage the first edition of Cairo’s Fashion Nights.
Inspired by Vogue’s Fashion Nights Out that has established itself as the major annual shopping event from Milan to Manhattan, the Egyptian version was a two-night event spread throughout Cairo’s upscale Zamalek area. A flock of chic ladies and young & trendy girls and guys made their way through the boutiques, whether by foot or by the branded “Hantoors” (horse carriages) . Trunk shows at fashion shrine Villa Baboushka, sexy crystal body tattooing at Dima Jewellery, runway hair styling and tips by Tigi spokesperson Carl flown in from London especially for the occasion, at the Al Sagheer Salon, cover model photo shoots at the PASHION hub and karaoke at Cairo’s only lifestyle and concept store Amuse, were just some of the surprises the fancy retailers had in store for the guests. Azza Fahmy wooed her guests with her new Pharaonic Collection, before they went on to discover the trend-wall “from runway to high-street” at 69, while Lalloushi boasted a vintage corner alongside her latest Italian brands. Society Diva and designer Dina Ayesh selected “The best dressed” at her Posh boutique & Dina Ayesh, while Croatian jewelry designer Maja Soric opened the doors of her haven for guests to discover the sculpted one of a kind pieces she creates.
Jewelry lovers were in for more treats with the latest designs by Turkish jewelry designer Zeynep Hanif. The colorful bags by Ain Maha, brainchild of Maha Al Sagheer, enticed the likes of Egyptian movie stars Mona Zaki and Ghada Adel, while local fans of Lebanese handbag line Sarah’s bag were in for a treat at Mounaya Gallery. Egyptian fashion power house Mix and Match got inspired by the country’s recent Revolution with a show-stopping window display. Loyal clients of Ghazl Banat discovered the latest arrivals of avant-garde brands and Nevin Altman celebrated her store opening offering locally made accessories embellished with beautiful embroidery sourced from Egyptian artisans. Another proudly made in Egypt hotspot is Al Qahera Gallery who displayed the latest collections by jewelry designer Suzan El Masry and leading designer of traditional wear Shahira Mehrez. A favorite stop for the young was the House of Egypt corner at Amuse, showcasing the works of well established young Egyptian fashion designer Amina K. whose funky collection boast traditional fabrics, Nana’s Closet who just showed at London Fashion week, the popular hand bag collection by Nuniz and hip fashion and accessory label El Horreya. Our final stop, the Designer Lounge was buzzing with friends and fans of the designers behind eight Egyptian labels: P.E.G.by O! (Proud Egyptian Girl by Ola Bitar) of t-shirts in 100% Egyptian cotton that have made a name for funky designs , Celine Daoud, the fashion designer who presented her first collection of a totally new hand-embroidered jewelry, the vintage inspired chic Bourjwah t-shirt line, Air Marin Accessories that are right in tune with the lively designer Monalisa Gonzales, Lina Chawky’s line of trendy silver jewelry inspired by earth, the bag collection by Georges Sara from Alexandria, whose history dates back a century, the very promising newly launched Suzy Wadin fashion house label, and SabryMarouf Bijoux, the young design duo whose gold-plated metal bra has been making headlines in town. WeWood watches gave away prizes for the “best dressed” selected by Fashion Police, Kegham Djeghalian. Continuous event coverage by social media partners Fashionthreads, Cairo360 , Cairogossip and Cairozoom added to the hype and kept guests updated with event highlights. The event wouldn’t have been complete without the official event t-shirt and spoiling the guests with fancy sandwiches by Zuk, Nola Bakery whose fashion-label mini cup cakes caused a stir, Rigoletto’s delicious ice-cream flavors served from the recreated old-fashioned ice-cream cart on bicycle wheels and soft drinks sponsored by PepsiCo and Egyptian Beausoleil wine offered by El Gouna Beverages. Wrapping up the event Risas, the capital’s latest night-spot hosted an after-hours-shopping party that lasted till the early morning hours. Recapping the event Susan Sabet, Publisher & Editor in Chief of PASHION says: ”Everyone who came had a great time and the turnout of so many guests is prove that Cairo is right on track in the fashion and luxury retail business and that Egypt’s retailers and designers are back in business. It was a small start of a venture that has tremendous potential to grow and we are already looking forward to the 2012 edition of CFN!”
