OKHTEIN: Not Coquette Just Yet
OKHTEIN - An Egyptian Arabic word meaning sisters.
The Palmette dropped on my newsfeed two summers ago, and I have yet to forget the moment I saw this chic, circular, burgundy and navy blue leather creation. There's a popular saying, that goes, "Your reputation precedes you." In the case of huge brand names this isn't a big surprise, because of course, it should. For a start-up that launched in late 2014, OKHTEIN's presence in the market has exceeded expectations.
With a quirky vibe and art infused designs, this brand was started in Cairo, Egypt by two ambitious sisters Mounaz and Aya Abdelraouf, hoping to shed light on local production and the power of cultural merging through art. Their designs boast an ideal balance of Western and Middle Eastern culture, with bright colors and cool collage art that makes OKHTEIN bags the piece de resistance of any outfit.
The brand grew rapidly due to their impressive and evolving Instagram account, OKHTEIN, and have now launched a website by the same name - linked in this article.
A handbag is a girl's best friend, it's the one thing, other than shoes of course, that we are willing to splurge on. It doesn't hurt when the bag draws attention to you, as well as being durable, convenient and does not entirely break the bank. Their bags are on the pricier side, but the quality is great. You can find them at poplar retailers such as The Pop Up Shop in Cairo and even at Lake Yard in Hacienda and the Diplo shopping strip in Sahel.
My favourite OKHTEIN campaign so far is the editorial released for the SS'16 collection, titled "Not Coquette Just Yet." featuring grainy imagery and stop motion videos, it gave the brand more edge than ever and introduced some vintage appeal. This campaign came in stark contrast to the FW'16 "Welcome to Bauland" which had an evidently Bauhaus inspired theme, that fell flat in comparison.
OKHTEIN is one of those startups that skyrocketed, unlike many examples worldwide, it's easy to see why. Check out their instagram account as well @okhtein.
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