Egyptian luxury handbag label, Okhtein made its Paris Fashion Week debut this season as it collaborated with French fashion house Balmain.
Balmain x Okhtein
An exclusive piece designed in collaboration with Balmain Creative Director Olivier Rousteing and Okhtein’s co-creative directors and co-founders Aya and Mounaz Abdel Raouf, made its way down the runway as part of the Balmain SS23 collection on Wednesday, September 28th, 2022.
For the occasion, Aya and Mounaz Abdel Raouf designed a bold bustier in worn-out resin, inspired by the iconic Egyptian alabaster stone.
The collection was inspired by the rebirth and rediscovery of the beauty of the Renaissance, highlighting how ancient masterpieces can be adapted to modern times which perfectly coincided with the design of this piece.
The bustier is enriched with a bangle in Okhtein’s iconic brass material, and the ancient Egyptian postiche. Aya and Mounaz intended to also incorporate the brand’s distinctive snake brass bangle, from their newest ‘Bangle Bag’ along with the postiche, emphasizing on the contrast of old and modern, to portray rebirth.
Aya and Mounaz spoke of the piece: “This piece was the most challenging project for both of us, however we found it as an opportunity to push ourselves as designers and product developers. We are grateful for our team and for the factories we work with, for bringing this piece to life.”
Olivier and Aya & Mounaz
They continued: “We are both thrilled and excited to be collaborating with Olivier Rousteing and Balmain for their SS23 collection. Our first encounter with Olivier was back in 2019, when he was one of the judges at the Fashion Trust Arabia. We look up to him on so many levels and truly love his genuineness and passion for what he does.
We are excited to be showing a little piece of our brand and its story. Coming from Egypt, a country of rich heritage and history, the story combining both our vision and Olivier’s has been a truly wonderful experience.”
