Tells us a little about the history of the brand?
The brand was established in 1969. I began my career working for the Egyptian Government as a graphic designer before my passion for jewellery design was ignited. I trained for two years as an apprentice with a well respected master in Khan El Khalili, Egypt’s ancient jewellery quarter before moving to London courtesy of a British Council Scholarship to further and complete my jewellery design studies.
On returning to Egypt I began creating hand-crafted jewellery and steadily developed a growing business. By the mid ‘90’s ‘Azza Fahmy’ had grown to a fully-fledged brand with a strong export business.
We now have a workforce of over 220 employees and 14 retail doors across Egypt, Jordan and UAE and this includes Bloomingdales and Harvey Nichols in Dubai, seven stand-alone Azza Fahmy boutiques, online boutique – www.azzafahmy.com plus online retail presence in Italy (Luisa Via Roma) and the UK with La Maison Couture plus our new London store in Mayfair at 27 Burlington Arcade.
Four years ago, I opened DSAF (Design School by Azza Fahmy) in Cairo in collaboration with Alchimia School of Contemporary Design in Florence. It is design training facility to train budding design entrepreneurs or those wanting to gain design capabilities and it delivers a comprehensive curriculum with courses in jewellery design and manufacture as well as providing commercial insight.
When I decided to study jewellery design there were no designated facilities or organisations so I had to find my own way of achieving the necessary knowledge. DSAF fulfils this requirement as the first educational institution of its kind in the region.
What is it is like working with your daughters?
It’s great. They bring a fresh perspective which is vital to the company’s growth. We share the same aims and, they were immersed in my work from a young age, so, it’s all a very natural process.
Did you expect them to join the family business?
No. It was quite a surprise, but it’s great to be working with them.