Researching before the design company Nagada's fashion show, I read about two amazing people, Sylva Nasrallah and Michel Pastore, the owners. Later I would be pleasantly surprised to find that not only are their intentions good and backstories charitable, their creations are beautiful and of high quality as well. Maybe karma really does exist. The Open Air Theater at the Cairo Opera House hosted a large crowd and a peaceful atmosphere last Saturday. Bird recordings softly provided the soundtrack behind the chatter as guests found their seats. Later Nasrallah would tell me about juggling the clothes, textiles, soft furniture and pottery lines of the brand, "We're facing a time where you have to really be organized or you drown. This, their ninth fashion show in Cairo, went swimmingly. Tristan Lofficial - from the Opera de Paris - played a mix of jazz and classical from a grand piano beside the runway for all 38 looks. I asked him if the medley was something previously planned as the catwalk choreography was modern and seemed improvised. His answer, "I finished five minutes before the beginning of the big show. It was the composer's first time to Cairo and he appeared excited. But, Lofficial says of Pastore, "he's my friend first, implying that it was more about supporting the artist than doing business. This would turn out to be the common attitude of those close to the owners: the pianist's mother, Claude Lofficial, even designed the set. Her paper-maché birds hovered over the audience frozen in flight atop rods of bamboo. Harmony just oozes out of the Nagada brand. "The business grew organically, Sylva told me, and everything about the fashion show was a testament to that. Models walked, pranced and sometimes danced while playing with the layers of colorful pieces they wore. The music and movement added drama, but the show overall was as comfortable as the clothing. Like the artists themselves, their creations are cultured and relaxed. The design house Nagada is less than a decade old, but Pastore's work to restore a crippled Upper Egyptian weaving village of the same name began in the early 1990s. Long after the aid project ended, the name carries on, inspired first by the tiny town's looms. Today there is a grassroots pottery project. In a Fayoum studio, local children learn how to throw pots and fire ceramics that are then sold in Dokki at the Nagada shop. And it's good stuff - I bought some. "It's passion, says Sylva Nasrallah, and "it's hard work. But it is passion and hard work that is not carried alone. The owners have the well-deserved support of many. Sylva's husband, VP of a bio-friendly food company, brought his olive tapenades to feed visitors at the show. Her sister Nina is involved as well, selling Nagada's products from her home in Ohio. She proudly stood by Saturday night. As I spoke to Sylva Nasrallah after the show, she was repeatedly approached and congratulated by pleased guests. Praises were in order. Still, the designer seemed a little unsure about one thing. "We've been fighting for years to get the right models, she told me. This year she wanted a blend of professionals and dancers, but she still wasn't sure about the result. "We started with friends, she reminisced. Then moved up to real models but "got bored. Already a success, the artists still work to improve that balance between professionalism and a down-to-earth persona. Models aside, the store successfully offers this package. In a lovely building on a quiet, tree-lined street off Midan Al-Misaha is a spacious and welcoming home displaying reasonably priced eclectic Nagada items. And in a small side room, the students' ceramics are classically presented beside an informational video on an unassuming flat screen television. They've achieved a beautiful balance between modern and traditional. Fashion shows and pottery schools, flat screen televisions and pinch pots; Nagada is a creative, successful and philanthropic design house. Like the effort they put into making their students and customers happy, the positive feedback they receive in return shows no signs of slowing. It is my new Cairo favorite. For more information, visit www.nagada.net. For more information, visit www.nagada.net.
