Because of social media, the luxury consumers here [in Egypt] are quite similar to those anywhere else because they consume the same content, travel to the same places and, ultimately, shop for the same brands.
– Fatma Ghaly, CEO & Partner, Azza Fahmy Jewelry
When it comes to aspirational fine jewelry brands, Egyptian brand Azza Fahmy is nothing short of a global icon. With a legacy spanning across 50 years, the brand has consistently exported collections imbued with authentic Middle Eastern perspectives and exquisite craftsmanship.
Rohma Theunissen caught up with the brand’s CEO & Partner Fatma Ghaly, to talk about Egypt’s luxury market, the contemporary consumer, their newly opened location at THAT Concept Store in Dubai, and what it’s like to steward her family’s business into a new era.
NOTE: This episode was recorded virtually as Rohma is in Dubai and Fatma is in Cairo – so there are a few glitches in sound but we think that makes the conversation even more authentic!
About Fatma Ghaly
Fatma is a business development specialist with over seventeen years experience. Having learnt the rudiments of the family owned enterprise at a very early age, Fatma’s vision for the brand has seen her strategically develop the Azza Fahmy business from a home-grown brand to an international luxury designer house employing over 200 people. A visionary leader, Fatma has driven the brand’s growth and success through expansion and cross- cultural collaborative projects and has enhanced values in local, regional and international markets. Her strong involvement in multiple developmental and community projects has also won her entrepreneurial recognition by many regional and international organizations.
A key player in shaping the jewelry design & making sector in Egypt, she has also been integral to the development of The Design Studio (DSAF) set up by her mother in 2013; independently funded, the Cairo base educational training hub for aspiring jewelry designers & students offers comprehensive curriculum based courses. Alongside five Egyptian professionals of the Fashion, Design & Luxury industry, Fatma is a founding member of the first Egyptian Fashion and Design Council (EFDC) that provides the opportunity for designers to be competitive on an international level in terms of quality, skills and creativity. Fatma is a fellow of the Aspen Institute, and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Luxury Management from Bocconi University in Milan and ESSEC University in Paris.
About Azza Fahmy Jewelry
Azza Fahmy is an International luxury design house that brings different cultures and heritage to life through its unique contemporary designs. Designer Azza Fahmy set out in 1969 with great passion for design and desire to translate this passion into jewelry collections of her own. Today the Azza Fahmy brand has an exclusive international reputation with clients that include world leaders, royalty, celebrities, and jewelry connoisseurs worldwide. Listed as one of Egypt’s influential women, Designer Azza Fahmy and her team travel internationally as cultural ambassadors, and have held more than 200 exhibitions worldwide. Harvard University has witnessed Azza Fahmy’s latest participation as a key panelist in the ‘Women in Business’ Panel during their Arab Weekend in November 2012.