Crammed with architectural landmarks that have stood for centuries, the narrow alleyways of Old Cairo are a portal to the earliest days of the Egyptian capital. The historic quarter has inspired countless artists and writers over the years, including Egyptian sisters Aya and Mounaz Abdelraouf.
“We felt like we were living at a different time. It was as if the world had stood still,” Aya Abdelraouf recalled of their visit, which was more than a decade ago.
Equally captivating was the craftsmanship the pair encountered there, where brass artisans have passed their skills down from one generation to the next, to create ornate lamps, jewelry and tableware.
It was the inspiration behind their luxury brand Okhtein — Arabic for two sisters — which blends Egypt’s craftsmanship and heritage into distinctive handbag design.
In some of their signature collections, the bag’s body is crafted from engraved or stripped brass, which is paired with other materials, like leather. “Brass is always the main element. That’s why our bags are like collectibles,” Mounaz Abdelraouf said.
Many of their bags feature a palmette design — a fan-shaped leaf of a palm tree. It’s inspired by one they saw in the old city, on a wall behind the Gothic-style facade of the Madrasa of Ibn Qalawun, a religious school and mausoleum dating back to the 13th century.
Historically, palmette motifs “were used as stoppers (signifying a pause or used as a divider) in poetry and in the Quran,” Aya Abdelraouf added.
Okhtein has won fans around the world, with Beyoncé, Gigi Hadid and Emma Watson among the celebrities spotted wearing the brand’s bags.
The brand’s designs aim to reflect the country’s layered history and cultural intersections through subtle references. “It’s not a pyramid-shaped bag staring you in the face,” said Aya Abdelraouf.
“Egypt is not just (ancient) Egypt,” Mounaz Abdelraouf added. “It’s a North African country, it’s a Middle Eastern country, it’s an Arab country, it’s a Coptic country, it’s a Muslim country.”
In addition to its stores in Cairo, Dubai and Riyadh, Okhtein recently opened a boutique inside the Grand Egyptian Museum, near the pyramids of Giza. It is one of the world’s largest museums dedicated to a single civilization.
Designed by architect Walid Zeidan, the store’s layout and the positioning of its display cabinets is inspired by the route taken by pharaohs in “feluccas” — wooden boats with a triangular sail — along the winding path of the Nile River in ancient times.
The museum “holds a glimpse of what Egypt has to offer in terms of civilization. So, to be part of this glimpse is just insane. To be right in front of the statue of Ramses (Ramesses II) is very humbling,” Mounaz Abdelraouf said.
She sees their outpost as offering sightseers an opportunity to own a piece of modern Egyptian culture. “All these visitors, tourists coming in and out, they get to take a piece of Egypt home,” she added.
Since its launch in 2014, the label has grown to include a fine jewelry line and accessories, and now works with international artisans on its handbags, from embroidery work created in India to closing panels made in Italy. The duo’s younger brother oversees the brand’s operations and growth.
Fashion runs deep in the family. Long before Okhtein was born, Aya and Mounaz Abdelraouf’s grandfather owned a fabric store and imported textiles from around the world. His business often took him and his wife to fashion capitals such as Paris and Milan.
“Our grandmother was very stylish; she looked like a model,” Aya Abdelraouf recalled. “We would spend hours in her closet. It felt like stepping into a vintage world before vintage was even a thing.”
She nurtured their love of fashion and introduced them to leather, which would later become one of the defining materials in Okhtein’s designs. Today, the sisters are going through her photographs to design a collection for winter 2027, to honor her memory and celebrate her style.
As with all their creations, they will be drawing on the past to create something unique.
“If you’re wearing an Okhtein piece, it’s actually the piece that found you — not the other way around,” Aya Abdelraouf said. “It’s the same feeling you get when you thrift a one-of-a-kind piece.”
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