Flair Magazine Despite its recent opening, Sashay Boutique in New Cairo has already caught our attention with its dreamy collection of cocktail and night dresses. Founders Shorouk El Basha, 32, and Yara Basiouny, 31, were proud to finally open their doors for business after years of trial and error before managing to turn their dream into a reality. We sat with the partners and found out about their struggles and their motivations for their budding boutique.
“Every time I took a step towards this dream, I failed. At first, I tried to buy dresses mostly online but they always had something wrong with them. Either the quality wasn’t as good as we wanted or the design wasn’t as accurate as it was portrayed in the online photos, and I got tired of it,” Shorouk explained about her initial frustrations. Now, they get their dresses from Turkey, Spain and Italy after going there and trying them on themselves to make sure they meet their standard.
Basha and Basiouny recognized a gap in the Egyptian market, where they didn’t see many options for soiree fashion choices apart from designers’ products. “Most people now are always looking for designers to make them something special but not everyone has the time or the energy or even the ability to afford designer dresses. That’s why when I got the dresses we have here, I made sure to provide a full range of prices, which I believe are pretty good in comparison to what you see in the market,” Shorouk said.
Sashay Boutique is up-to-date with the current trends where girls tend to go for long pieces rather than short, and distinctive designs that make them stand out in a crowd. When asked about how they decide which dresses to sell, Shorouk told us, “I look at the dresses and imagine them fitting certain occasions and seasons here in Egypt, like an engagement party or a close friend’s wedding, for example.”
For future plans, Sashay Boutique is looking to expand into soiree tops, jumpsuits, cocktail dresses, bridal gowns and even soiree accessories and headpieces.
Sahsay’s top tips for wedding guests this bridal season:
- Be simple
- Be classy
- Be unique
- Don’t try to outshine the bride. It’s her day!
By Sarah Guirguis
