Friday March 29th, 2024
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Egypt's Must Have Accessory For 2017: Pearly Clutches by S.A.D.A.F.A 

These mother-of-pearl beauties even have some huge celebs carrying them.

Staff Writer

Egypt's Must Have Accessory For 2017: Pearly Clutches by S.A.D.A.F.A 

There are only a few things in this world that are more Egyptian than mother-of-pearl and everything related to it. We all remember those little jewellery boxes cross-patterned with wooden and iridescent mother-of-pearl squares our mothers guarded so carefully - if you don't, you need to google those boxes! Right now. For the rest of us... we always associate mother-of-pearl with those little boxes, and the various items of jewellery that our mums kept inside. That is, until one brand reinvented that classic jewellery box into clutches and blew us away.

 

Good things come in threes! Introducing The Shell Collection, available in Pearl White, Lilac and Livid.

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The aptly named S.A.D.A.F.A (shell in Arabic) is an Egyptian brand that creates stunning, one-of-a-kind clutches made from mother-of-pearl. As if it wasn't already Egyptian enough, these gorgeous masterpieces are also entirely Egyptian made.

Speaking to Cairo Scene, Dina El Sheikh, the brains behind these beauties, explains how she gets her inspiration, and what makes these clutches special. El Sheikh, who studied Theatre specialising in Costume Design at AUC, obtained a degree in fashion design from the Istituto Di Moda Burgo in Milano in 2006. She also studied at the Design Studio by Azza Fahmy in 2015.

On what inspires her designs, El Sheikh explains, "S.A.D.A.F.A pays homage to the grandness of the city of Cairo. This collection is a reflection of how majestic this city is. Just like Cairo, S.A.D.A.F.A has a firm skeleton, but if you focus on the details, you will notice how intricate and delicate they are. Although it may seem very eclectic, every detail synchronises in perfect harmony." 

And in keeping with the Egyptian-ness of the brand, El Sheikh says that every part of the crafting process is thought of and made in Egypt. "We take great pride in the fact that every piece in the bag is handmade in Egypt, starting from the mother of pearl cutting and inlay, hinges, lining, chain all the way down to the finishing."

 Just like Cairo, S.A.D.A.F.A has a firm skeleton, but if you focus on the details, you will notice how intricate and delicate they are.

Although the brand is relatively new - launched May 2016 - it has already gained quite a momentum, including being featured in Dubai Design Week last year. S.D.A.F.A's clutches have also been worn by a number of familiar faces, including both megastar Yousra and  Hana Elawadi.

 

Still can't get over the fact that it's YOUSRA with her s.a.d.a.f.a💛✨

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The clutches come in a standard box shape, but it’s the mother-of-pearl designs where all of the magic happens. They come in everything from the traditional, plain but still gorgeous mother-of-pearl, to more intricate designs and colours. To top it all, the designed handles on the clutches are a often a large pieces of semi-precious stones, because we can never be too glamorous obviously. We certainly know what we want for our next birthday gift.

 

Everything in the universe is within you. Rumi Photo Credits: @amromag

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Check out Sadafa for yourself on Instagram.