Susan Sabet Shares What to Expect from Egypt's First-Ever Fashion Week

The inaugural edition of the Egyptian Fashion Week will kick off at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo on Friday.

Red carpet and cocktails will be held at 8:00 pm, followed by a fashion show, a Gala dinner, and entertainment at 9:00 PM.

Egyptian Fashion Week will take place from May 12 to 15, under the title, “Past, Present and Future”.

It is a celebration of culture, heritage, and creativity and aims to connect the local, African, and Middle Eastern markets through design, craftsmanship, education, sustainability, production, and retail.

The inaugural edition features the participation of over 70 Egyptian designers showcasing their collections on and off the runway.

This celebration of Egyptian identity will be marked by a commitment to showing the world Egypt’s present – creatives, craftsmen, and industry leaders who are forging the contemporary fashion scene, honoring its past, and looking toward a future that merges centuries of knowledge with modernity.

The EFDC also hopes that the event will be a conduit of connection between the local, African, and Middle Eastern markets through design, craftsmanship, education, sustainability, production, and retail.

What to Expect from Egypt's First-Ever Fashion Week?

Fashion editor Susan Sabet, co-founder of the Egyptian Fashion and Design Council (EFDC), has shared what to expect from this landmark event.

She anticipates 15, 000 people to attend the four-day affair in Cairo.

“Egypt Fashion Week has been almost five years in the making. We have a lot of young talents. Since 2011, there’s been a boom since the revolution. There is a new feeling of national pride, people supporting each other, and especially the young generation. We must do this,” she told Vogue Arabia.

After fashion week was postponed three times due to the coronavirus, the inaugural edition opens Friday evening with a 500-person VIP event. It will offer a curated show of all the designers.

The following days will occur in the Museum of Agriculture, the second most important agricultural museum in the world after Budapest. It is an architectural gem, that dates back to 1937 and on its vast grounds retells the history of cotton and the Egyptian textile industry, which is a perfect tie-in.

EFW will feature runway shows and exhibitions by Egyptian schools and guest schools such as FAD in Dubai and Creative Space in Beirut as well as Gitex bringing schools from Morocco, Tunis, and Jordan.

The final day will offer visitors an opportunity to “shop the runway” at the Mall of Arabia.

“Being first is not easy, but we’re going to pull through," she said.