Egyptian Designer Mariam Abdelghany on the ‘Many Makings of Mamzi’

When Egyptian designer Mariam Abdelghany first conjured up a dress at the tender age of ten, she had no inkling that years later, her notebooks would be filled with sketches of gowns and her name would grace the roster of her university’s solitary fashion course.

The creation of Mamzi, Abdelghany’s label, was a journey fraught with obstacles. Egypt’s fashion ecosystem at the time was ill-prepared to support and nurture what one might call a ‘fashion house.’

In 2014, the spirit of independent tailors still reigned supreme, and the notion of travelling abroad to refine one's craft was a distant dream for most.

“My university professor thought I should quit pursuing fashion,” Abdelghany tells Scene Styled. “I remember thinking: she doesn’t know me, and she doesn’t know what I want to do.”

What Abdelghany lacked in infrastructure she made up for in creative output, drawing inspiration from her experiences and travels for her seasonal collections.

“I was building experience through my brand; there were no other opportunities available at the time.”

Films and film stars comprised the essence of her initial collections. Late actress Souad Hosny’s ‘Sagheera ‘al hob’ served as the embryonic beginning of her hyper-feminine brand direction.

“It was a more grown-up version of a film I grew up loving,” says Abdelghany. “Pride and Prejudice also enabled me to fully realise my vision.”

While Abdelghany’s initial foray into fashion provided a cathartic stepping stone, it was only a matter of time before the business end of the spectrum began to tarnish the talent she had long cultivated.

“I stopped completely in 2016,” she shares. “Even though I stopped for a year and a half, it was still a long time spent understanding that I am a fashion designer.”

Abdelghany’s time away from Mamzi reaffirmed her belief that there was no other possible career path. The daily need for self-fulfilment did not exist in the myriad of corporate jobs she toggled between during her break from the seams.

Rekindling her brand proved fruitful. Egyptian celebrities such as Donia Samir Ghanem, Hannah El Zahed, Leila Eloui, Passant Shawky, and Dina El Sherbiny embraced Abdelghany’s woman-centric design approach, donning custom looks on red carpets across the country.

Actress Dina El Sherbiny wearing Mamzi's Oasis Top and Bow Shirt Dress

“The Nubia collection is the closest to my heart,” Abdelghany tells Scene Styled. “I got to create something dedicated to the city.” 

The patterns, a natural blend of geometric motifs, evoke Nubian architecture, while the silhouettes stay true to the brand’s crisp cuts. Embroidery hugs the bodice of the collection’s Palm dress, and colourful stitching lines the Arika playsuit. The Palette dress, a striking blend of coloured stripes, rounds off the collection.

The year 2024 marks the brand’s ten-year anniversary - a decade of Mariam Abdelghany “trusting [her] instincts” and a testament to her tenacious planning. To commemorate this milestone, Abdelghany reimagines her signature bow emblem into an entire collection. Each piece deconstructs the beloved shape, with pastel colours complementing the designer’s gentle vision of womenswear.