WHO. ARE. WE?
We are two individuals with shared ideas, shared ideals and a shared commitment to doing things differently. We work with a worldwide network of artisans in Egypt, Italy and the UK to create modern-day, wearable artefacts.
Our creations pay tribute to our shared heritage, combining aspects of ancient Egypt with contemporary expression to better articulate something entirely new and the notion of timeless, cherished objects is at the heart of our creative process and of our working philosophy.
We ask ourselves where our pieces will be in 100 years time and, with this in mind, we endeavor to merge the latest processes with traditional, artisanal craftsmanship.
AHMED SABRY
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Born in Giza, Egypt, Ahmed Sabry is the Creative Director of Sabry Marouf. Growing up on the West Bank of the Nile, Sabry’s youth was characterised by a unique mix of past, present, and future – of alternate, sometimes competing, versions of history which have left their mark on a bustling modern city in the shadow of the Great Pyramid.
Sabry studied MA Fashion Artefact at London College of Fashion, and with a BA in Marketing & Public Relations, as a designer, his contribution to the brand is one of communication through any medium possible. New technologies, new materials, new techniques – all of these are ways of reaching out, of creating not only beautiful things but also shared experiences.
DAKI MAROUF
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Having spent his childhood living between Cairo, Egypt, and Houston, Texas, Marouf’s perspective on life is informed by a symbiotic relationship between Eastern and Western perspectives – not so much a culture clash as a sense of different philosophies, coming together to work effectively as one.
With an MA in Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation from London College of Fashion, and a BSc in Architecture, Marouf applies his wide-ranging skills to the Sabry Marouf brand – working to make the label not just bigger and better, but also to make a positive contribution to his own cultural heritage, and toward addressing ethical and ecological issues at the forefront of the industry.
OUR DRIVING FORCE
We see Sabry Marouf creations as a project of continuous research and development – a reminder that the restrictions and conventions of bag-making are not unbreakable, and that we must learn from the past to progress in the present.
Progress, too, informs every decision that we make as Sabry Marouf. We are committed, as a brand, to sustainable development – and, as people, we are equally committed to creating a positive impact on the Earth when and where we can.
OUR BEGINNINGS
In 2011, at a time of sweeping change across Egypt, we took a leap and decided to make life-altering changes for ourselves. Leaving behind steady careers in public relations and interior design, we decided instead to embrace that upheaval for ourselves and head for the hectic streets of Khan El Khalili’s cacophonous hub of activity united behind a commitment to a shared craft.
A place of narrow pathways and low ceilings - coffee shops filled with familiar faces and unfamiliar sensory experiennces; cramped stores, seemingly ruled by the whims of occupying cats. And of course, the home of Egypt most experienced and well-regarded master craftspeople.
Here, between these tapered alleys, we spent three years immersed in the world of artisanal jewellery. Here, with the benefit of a family introduction — because in a place like Khan El Khalili, you need the right introduction — we began to learn invaluable lessons from the master jeweller, Sufi, and one-of-a-kind character Haj-Khamis.
Not just in the art of jewellery, but in patience, in the difference between time well spent and time wasted — in the importance of doing things the right way, not just getting them done. Here, we began our journey as Sabry Marouf.
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