Nebet Weaves Tales of Ancient Wisdom Into Time-Traversing Handbags

The sands of ancient Egypt continue to inspire new generations of creators seeking to pay homage to its rich cultural heritage. For Egyptian designer Marina Abdel Shahid, founder of luxury Egyptian bag label Nebet, tapping into her country's illustrious past has given rise to a collection that revives ancient symbols through contemporary craftsmanship.

Marina Abdel Shahid had always possessed a deep love for Egypt's rich history and culture. After graduating from the American University in Cairo in 2015 with a degree in business, she soon discovered that while travelling abroad on work trips, people were intrigued by her country of origin yet lacked accessible representations of Egypt.

“Travelling all over the world, people would always be surprised when they found out I was Egyptian, they’d keep asking about Egypt and its history.” Nebet Founder Marina Abdelshahed tells SceneStyled. “That’s how I knew I wanted to hold a piece of my Egyptian heritage on all my business trips. A statement piece that speaks without uttering a word…”

Determined to fill this void in her own innovative style, Marina launched Nebet in January 2020. The name pays homage to Nebet, a female vizier during Egypt's Old Kingdom who made history as the first recorded female in her position. Now with each release, Nebet rediscovers symbols that held profound significance for the people of ancient Egypt, breathing new life into them through exquisite accessories.

With the brand's latest collection, 'The Eye of Horus', currently on display at the Grand Egyptian Museum, Nebet transports revered mythology into the modern day. For the ‘Eye of Horus’ line, Nebet continues its mission "to bring our ancient Egyptian heritage in modern, fashionable and high quality products," as Marina tells SceneStyled.

At the heart of 'The Eye of Horus' sits the powerful Eye symbol itself, representing well-being, healing and protection for the ancient Egyptians. They believed it possessed mystic qualities and called it ‘Eye of the Mind’ and ‘Third Eye’. For Marina, the Eye holds a special place in her work, awakening her passion for sharing stories of her heritage with the world. Each piece in the collection is crafted to resemble the Eye's distinctive curved form, embossed with lotus motifs symbolic of life, birth, and rebirth. Available in silver, emerald, gold, grey and black, the Eye of Horus bag truly captures the essence of its namesake through its sculptural silhouette alone.

Elsewhere within the brand’s offerings, other gorgeous ancient-inspired designs like the Ankh handbag appear; Its ankh motif - representing life itself - appears front and centre in solid copper, the result of meticulous handiwork by eight craftsmen.

Through collaborations with prestigious spaces like the new Grand Egyptian Museum, Nebet ensures its pieces remain continually inspired by Egypt's treasures. For Marina, being stocked at the Grand Egyptian Museum allows the brand to bring clients directly back to the wellspring tracing each design.

For Nebet, crafting each collection is about more than luxury goods - it is an act of storytelling that keeps ancient wisdom alive. Under Marina's direction, the ‘house of Nebet’ will continue to astound new audiences with reimaginings of history worth holding onto. The Eye of Horus collection proves her ethos anew - that appreciation for our shared past can live lavishly in the present.