The success stories of Azza Fahmy and Dima Rachid are ones that inspire jewelry makers and are the reason behind the renaissance of jewelry design in Egypt; with more and more designers testing the industry waters with the new lines.
Egypt’s own Fahmy was able to bring back attention to the fine craftsmanship and designing techniques that have for so long been ignored in Egypt. Rachid on the other hand is a Palestinian who recently moved to Egypt and turned a hobby into a career, taking advantage of the city’s rich climate to inspire her and help her create pieces akin to art.
With Fahmy’s collaboration with English designer Julien McDonald, and Rachid’s patronage including Eva Mendes and Victoria Beckham, their collections have grown from strength to strength internationally and deservedly so.
Dina Maghawry, an exceptional designer, is known for her classical ethnic designs, which are a huge hit with the younger crowd. Now an established designer, Maghawry started out by designing pieces one at a time until she launched her first official collection, entitled Kashmir, two years ago.
Being in the business for quite sometime now, Maghawry explains that she never thinks about standing out in the market as each designer will inevitably bring forth a different collection. “The designs are an expression of yourself, a designer should never try to follow ‘what’s in,’ and hence comes the difference, explained Maghawry.
Her favorite stones include labradorit, moonstone and ruby stones of a lower quality as she likes to keep her prices reasonable. By mixing beautiful stones together, she creates exquisite combinations for earrings, necklaces and bracelets.
Another young designer who debuted in 2008, made her mark in the market. Hana Elawadi, who had initially studied International Business and jewelry designing, says it was simply a talent she had.
Using Facebook to market her products, Elawadi launched her first collection which was an immediate hit. “Each piece is inspired by her love of nature, simplicity and fashion. They are wisps of personal expression and, when worn, [the pieces] almost take on a life of their own, reads the description of her designs on her online group ‘Hana Elawadi Jewelry.’
She sells her pieces at open days and currently schedules private appointments, Elawadi told Daily News Egypt in an interview earlier this year.
She wanted to fill a gap in the market by using only the finest quality natural materials, such as 18K gold, leather, suede and satin from the most reputable worldwide suppliers for her trendy and hip designs. “It’s hard to find this kind of jewelry in real gold, said Elawadi, of her simple and delicate pieces.
Displaying her collection at the high-end store Beymen alongside products by Marc Jacobs, Prada and Gucci, Sarah Abaza has definitely stood out among the numerous jewelry designers who launched their collections this year.
“Sarah Abaza jewelry combines the depth of tradition with the elegance of modernity creating eclectic pieces that people will hold onto forever, says the designer’s Facebook group which too has been used as a key marketing tool to create a loyal fan base. Abaza works with 18K yellow and white gold, oxidized sterling silver and a variety of stones, which include semi-precious stones and diamonds. Her handmade collection includes both casual jewelry and limited-edition heirloom pieces.
Young jewelry designer May Heggy had always loved working with beads, but unlike many of her colleagues and competitors, she discards the “ever since I was a little girl I’ve had this talent mantra.
“The most important thing I did to be different is gain a specialized jewelry education, so that I would produce work of high quality, but other than this every personality of the designers is reflected in their work. There are great designers out there and there are those who aren’t and people can tell, said the graduate of Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in London.
Heggy creates a distinct style for herself by staying away from anything that has been done before, such as Arabic calligraphy and the blue eye.
The young designer has launched two collections so far, Summer 08 and Fall 08. While the summer collection was inspired by fairytales – evident in the light pastel colors she used – this season has an oriental collection inspired by “One Thousand and One Nights.
The youngest of all designers to embark onto the competitive market is Dalia Hamdallah, who used to hold jewelry open-days for her friends and acquaintances while she was an undergraduate Arts student at the American University in Cairo.
After graduating last Spring, Hamdallah has launched her line ‘D Accessories’ which is now available at Hanfaninha Studio Gallery and Villa Dorra on Mohamed Mazhar Street in Zamalek. A Jordanian residing in Cairo, her collection includes handmade jewelry made with copper wires, chains, and semi-precious stones and pearls. A variety of one-of-a-kind pieces of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings using bright exotic colors and unique stones are available for sale.
Hamdallah finds it “very inspiring to be a jewelry designer in Egypt. “People [here] appreciate talent and they stay loyal to you as long as you are offering different and unique pieces that are different from the rest of the market.
But with the jewelry market still young and many going into it, Hamdallah thinks that there is room for everyone to go out there and show their talent to the world.
“I think it’s only fair that everybody who sees a talent in themselves should get a chance to show the world what they have and if that person wants to be a jewelry designer, so be it. But at the end of the day only the real talent survives and keeps people talking about your creations, she said.
