First Egypt Fashion Week takes place with more than 70 designers

There are also panels, talks, workshops and special project sessions

Models present creations by Egyptian fashion designer Shihera Fahmy during the first Egypt Fashion Week at Agriculture Museum in Giza. All photos: EPA

A model presents a creation by Egyptian fashion designer Fahmy

Models present creations by Egyptian fashion designer Waseem Khadra at the Agriculture Museum in Giza

Another creation by Fahmy

A design by Khadra

A design by Khadra

A design by Khadra

A design by Khadra

A design by Khadra

A design by Fahmy

A design by Khadra

A design by Fahmy

The inaugural Egyptian Fashion Week has kicked off in Cairo.

The event, which runs until Monday, is themed Past, Present and Future and pays homage to Egypt’s heritage and civilisation. The idea behind the fashion week is to help connect African and Middle Eastern markets.

The showcase is presented by the Egyptian Fashion and Design Council in collaboration with government bodies and Creative Headz, the Austrian firm behind fashion shows such as MQ Vienna and Thai Silk.

More than 70 designers are showcasing their collections and many events have taken place inside famous attractions such as the old Egyptian Museum and Museum of Agriculture. In addition to runways, there are also panels and talks a well as workshops and special projects.

Event highlights include The Design Studio by Azza Fahmy, Sabry Marouf, Fashion & Design Centre, Cairo Design District, Fad Dubai and Creative Space Beirut.

“The first edition of Egypt Fashion Week blends a celebration of our civilisation, a synopsis of our present, and our vision for the future. As we proudly celebrate our heritage and civilisation, we take inspiration from our culture for design and acknowledge agriculture as the basis on which Ancient Egyptians built an empire and a civilisation that throughout history inspired the world,” reads the website.

“Yet we do not want to dwell on our past and the wealth of accomplishments and innovation, but rather look at and show the world our present, a pool of creatives, craftsmen, and industry leaders that have forged a contemporary Egyptian DNA.”

Egypt Fashion Week will close with a Shop the Runway event at Mall of Arabia on Monday.