For all the fashionistas of Cairo who pride themselves on unique and chique personal styles, Bischette Bags are the new must-have bags with which to accessorize any outfit, any day. Whether one fancies totes, clutches, or evening bags, this new line of women's bags compete easily with the big names and offers something to satisfy every kind of personal taste and style. If you're looking for something different, look no further. Created by up and coming designer Amira Safwat, Bischette Bags has been steadily growing and selling to an ever increasing number of clients by word of mouth since January 2007. Today, Bischette Bags can be found in Loolie's Gallery in Zamalek as well as in boutiques in Greece. Safwat, who proclaims "My whole life is fashion, first began designing and creating handbags as a hobby and certainly never thought that people would actually want to buy them. She explains that the first time the idea of making a bag ever came to her was just a year-and-a-half ago, when she was sitting on her living room couch looking at the fabric that covered its armrest. "I loved the material and thought that, reversed, I would love it as a clutch. From that day onwards Safwat set out to design and create handbags and eventually sold them to family and friends with the encouragement of her mother. Bischette Bags was chosen as the official name for Safwat's creations because her mother always used to call her 'bischette,' meaning little dear in French. Safwat's creations are inspired by styles and trends that one might not expect. The American University in Cairo alumni says that it is her love for anything and everything old and vintage that is the driving force behind the design of her bags. "I just love insanely old things, like vintage wax buttons and old fabrics, said Safwat. Her bags retain such an individualistic look because she doesn't borrow ideas from modern fashion magazines. Her tastes venture towards the styles of earlier decades, and Safwat is particularly fond of styles from the 1920s, 1930s and 1950s. "I read books about the Victorian Age and I'll find something that I think is cool, she explained. Her creations reflect vintage themes that are colorful and sophisticated, and her finished products mirror her experiences studying fashion and design. Safwat studied intensively during a summer program at Parson's College in New York City, and pattern-making in Cairo. She also minored in Fine Art at AUC as an undergraduate. Safwat designs and cuts the patterns herself, and custom makes each piece to embody the taste and style of the person to whom it will belong. Often it is the people around her that inspire her creations. For example, she once made a bag for a friend whose hobby and passion was horse back riding. "I found a vintage tweed fabric and turned it into a clutch, and then put a real horse shoe on the front flap. That was the most difficult purse to make! The purses, clutches and evening bags, which run anywhere from LE 300 to LE 500, are all individually named as well.. Bischette Bags features three collections: the men's collection, the women's collection, and the old Hollywood collection. The last step in the creation of her bags, Safwat said that finding a name for every piece is one of the best parts of the entire process. "I think a lot about the name of each bag. I name them after my friends - each of my best friends has a bag named after her. After a bag is made, my friend and I sit down and look at it and say, 'This bag is so Kate Hudson' or 'It's so Carry Bradshaw.' Other names include the Gavin and Brad bags. Because Safwat makes each bag by hand, it typically takes about 10 days from the time one orders a bag to actually finish it. Well worth it in my opinion since no one bag will look like anything else you have ever seen in someone's closet or in a store. At this pace, she is able to produce around five Bischette Bags a month. "I couldn't do it without the help of my sister, Nehal. She organizes it all, she helps me a lot! Though Safwat works full time as a visual merchandiser for Fashion International, she still finds the time to innovate her designs. In the future, she will begin hand painting her bags for a new line. -To purchase one of these unique bags, email [email protected]. Images of her past creations are available to view upon request by email, or you can view them on the Facebook group Bischette Bags.
