Flair Magazine On a scale from standard to innovative, Cairopolitan ranks at an unmistakable 10. If you haven’t heard of it yet, Cairopolitan is an art shop and gallery that sells a variety of everyday products inspired by Cairo’s urban life from random iconic things you see in the streets, local food, cafés and markets. Gallery events showcase local pop artists that compliment the Cairopolitan theme. While the dream to launch this place started all the way back in 2006 by founder Ahmed Hefnawy, it just opened 2 months ago. We sat down with manager and creative director, Nelly Sharkawy, 23, to talk about product inspiration and Cairopolitan’s behind-the-scenes.
Why the name Cairopolitan?
Two reasons. In 2006 when Hefnawy was dreaming of this place, he was sitting in a coffee place downtown called Cosmopolitan. He thought if they removed “Cosmo” and replaced it with “Cairo” it will still sound good – not to mention the fact that Cairo is a metropolitan city and this suited the idea of the project.
What do you mean by your slogan ‘Branding the City’?
This place is divided into two aspects – the design shop where you get access to the products designed here, and the art gallery. The design shop is all about gathering iconic items from the streets of Cairo and turning them into product. That’s how we turn everything about the city into a brand. Our definition of iconic isn’t the pyramids or Qasr Al Nile Bridge, though. It’s more of things that anyone who lives in Cairo will relate to, like baladi bread or red bricks used to build everything around here.
How did you come to the decision to create this space and sell your merchandise directly instead of through other outlets?
We started selling our products in 2006 and Hefnawy made it his business to keep everything under wraps as much as possible so the product ideas don’t get copied. Although some stores approached him wanting to feature his products, he declined because he wanted to put all of them in a concept store. He didn’t want Cairopolitan items to be a notebook in one place and tissue box in another but rather present them together to send a stronger message.
How did the Cairopolitan team come together?
Hefnawy invented the idea of the art space and he designed all the products. He recruited us all from random different backgrounds. Shennawy was always helping him with the visual identity of the place. Then, there’s me, and Amr and Moustafa who help us in the workshop. There’s also Ofa who scouts for the best printing spots for the pop artist productions. Bolbol is in charge of creativity, so basically everything that has to do with the branding of the store. Finally, there’s Ronald and he is our valuable joker.
Tell us about your creative process. How do you find inspiration for such a wide variety of products?
Hefnawy is in charge of that. It’s a certain way of thinking or a certain vibe. He’s always lived in Cairo and is always roaming its streets. Inspiration comes from the streets of Cairo and that’s what makes it stand out. It’s also not just a nice-looking or nostalgic design that we print on any type of product. Every product design is directly linked to the original function of the iconic item. For example, the Baladi Bread Pouch is originally a sandwich you put things in, so why not put pencils in instead, you know?
What are the most popular or best selling products so far? Why do you think they are successful?
The Baladi Pouch, the Sketch On Board, the Tissue Meter and the Drainkit. I think they’re successful because there are ideas behind them and they are very original and creative. They are also visually appealing and strikingly similar to the actual icons.
What are the biggest challenges that have faced you so far?
There’s a lot to keep up with. At the end of the day, we don’t have that many hands on deck and we still want to maintain the increasing demand. The variety of products keeps us in contact with so many different workshops and exhibitions, not to mention, having to keep up with the website and the online sales and social media. It becomes a challenge to handle all the little details sometimes especially when you have every team member doing a million tasks on their own.
Any interesting projects coming up?
This month, we’re releasing a new collection and we’re hosting an event showcasing artist George Azmi.
Where can people purchase your products?
Currently, we have everything here in our store and you can also purchase online. We deliver all over Cairo, Alexandria and the North Coast. Soon, we will be launching a smaller branch in partnership with Dwaik’s in Galleria 40. All items will then be available in both branches.
By Sarah Guirguis
