If you’re a fan of quality shoes with plenty of charm, then “Dawn” is the brand you’ve been waiting for. With their 100% percent natural leather material, the brand offers you a variety of mules that are not only very comfortable to wear but can also live for a decade without getting worn out. We sat with the founder of the ingenious brand, Hagar Fattah, 30, as she spoke to us about her vision and the challenges she faces with her newly established label.
How did you establish your brand Dawn?
I was working in finance until I decided I wanted a career change. I was very interested in handmade products and leather material so I started making wallets and notebooks at the time. Eventually, I made some connections with people working in the same field. This is how I came across Egyptian shoemakers and then leather suppliers from abroad. I opened a studio in Downtown Cairo and have been working there for about a year. I recently just got my own production line in a factory so we can eventually start shipping abroad.
Do you have a signature shoe style?
Most of our shoes so far are mules because we saw a gap in the market where no shoe brands were specializing in mules. We also ensure that the whole shoe is handmade, even when it comes to the finishing process, which allows it to last with you for more than 10 years. Our newest distinctive feature is the molded arches, which act as supporting soles and make the shoe much more stable and comfortable especially for people who stand up for most of their day or those with flat feet. Our bestseller is the Capri pointed mule.
Why did you decide to go 100% leather when it comes to material?
You can find many leather-focused brands in Italy and Australia but I barely found any in Egypt. Even the Egyptian brands producing leather products don’t go a hundred percent leather like we do. Our materials are mainly Italian, premium and completely natural. We still give an option of adding rubber soles for the customers who request it.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Egyptian artisans are very talented and can do really good work but they just don’t have the patience to sit and focus on all the little details that you care about. I had trouble at the beginning getting them to see what I wanted to do. I had to convince them that we should work based on an international quality standard and kept after them until I got the product that I wanted to sell. When they saw a lot of orders starting to come in, that’s when they started to see my vision.
A minor challenge we also faced was that most people were scared to buy our mules in the winter since they are open shoes. We still plan on sticking to mules for now but we came up with an idea to add real fur lining that will make any of our shoe designs more comfortable and warm for the winter season, and thankfully people are getting convinced.
Why not opt for mass production?
I believe in the concept of slow fashion. It entails a lot of attention to detail and quality. At the end of the day, the brand is a business and we want to yield a profit, but at the same time, we care a lot and we want everything done very well. One order can take up to four or five days to be ready. It’s a time-intensive step in the process where a shoemaker makes individual decisions to decide how much the leather should be stretched with pilers without breaking the fibers. Keeping the fibers intact is what gives the leather the strength to stretch as needed when you wear it.
The process we go by are very costly but very critical for any shoe brand that aims to go global. We believe that’s what sets us apart. Other manufacturers can make up to 500 pieces or more daily to garner fast profit. They are free to do whatever they want and we are not against them but we believe in something else.
Explain to us what you mean about shoe imperfections.
Many people don’t understand that a completely natural and handmade product can’t come out looking perfect. Leather is a type of skin so it makes sense that it is not perfect within itself but this is also what gives the shoe a vintage touch. It’s normal for leather shoes to have spots with different shades of the same color because it just means that the oils have moved around naturally. When you see shoes that are perfectly polished and shiny, know that the material has absorbed so many chemicals for it to look like that.
From where do you draw inspiration?
I find inspiration in nature. Even in clothing, I prefer natural material like cotton and linen. When it came to my footwear line, it was easy for me to decide that we will go the natural route, not only in material but also in color. Most of the colors we go for are earthy and therefore, effortlessly give off that vintage vibe.
Where can people buy your footwear?
So far, we’re set up online with our Instagram account. I still haven’t found a concept store that fits my vision. In the near future, I plan to open my own store in Maadi. Of course, we care about growing in Egypt as a brand but we’re also thinking that since we are producing at an international standard, why not export as well? We’re currently looking at channels in Greece, Lebanon and Spain, and will start shipping internationally as soon as we finish the required papers.
By Sarah Guirguis
