Cutting edge jewelry brand Sabry Bijoux Avantgardes has illuminated the world of jewelry and fashion once again with its new spring-summer collection "Armure," which includes some extraordinary items on the themes of revolution and military power.
“We’re going for the savage side of the tribal trend and merging it with military fashion," says designer Ahmed Sabry. "We’re seeing women today as 21st century warriors in today’s uprisings in search of freedom,” he says.
According to the label’s creative team, the Amure collection reflects not only the current revolutionary environment, but also the futurist fashion movement, which is less about superficial gadgetry and more about envisioning possible future environments.
“We wanted to play upon this notion in designing pieces that respond to where humanity seems to be heading," says Sabry.
"The duality of ancient versus future worlds is at the centre of Armure, from ancient Egypt to the Celtic warrior woman, to our own vision of the future. We're coming up with a collection to present to the world or jewelry that suggests a new kind of evolution."
The promotional images for the Armure collection center around an empowered warrior queen, a strong female weighed down with gold. The yellow metal has long symbolized power, and the brand is making the most of the symbolism.
Sabry Bijoux Avantgardes was founded in 2008 by designer Ahmed Sabry. The brand made a powerful buzz in 2009 with its fall-winter "TribalGlam" collection, launched in a small gallery in Zamalek. The brand expanded further in 2010 when Daki Marouf joined the creative team as co-partner and managing director.
“We have grown tremendously thanks to the incredible support of our fashion-forward fans,” says Sabry.
Sabry studied advertising and graphic design, while Marouf is an architecture graduate, and according to Marouf, the partners split work and business responsibilities equally.
“Sometimes Ahmed can start something and I’ll develop further it, and vice versa – it’s like a ball game or a piece of music; strategy, orchestration, and team work,” says Marouf. "Designing jewelry and being in the industry has helped me bridge my yearnings for fashion, art, and design," he continues.
The brand's first collection, TribalGlam, made use of tribal motifs, a theme that has been played with many times throughout the history of modern fashion, and which will no doubt continue to manifest itself in different ways.
As Sabry points out, Bottega Veneta wowed the fashion world with its ethnic tribal accessories in 2009, while Galliano and Lanvin took it to the next level in 2010 with garments and accessories that seemed to be the result of a modern tribal environment.
“Tribal to us means bold, intentional pieces with a message for all to see," says Marouf. "And that is what we did for TribalGlam. We chose to create our own tribal motifs with no obvious cultural references – a sort of language that has not been spoken by others.”
What differentiates Sabry Bijoux Avantgardes from any other label is the courage on display as designers ask what the future might hold for Egyptian jewelry. The label instills a sense of wonder and excitement while embracing both technology and emerging trends.
“We take risks and design with an open mind, making the strange familiar, and the familiar strange,” says Sabry.
According to Marouf, designers in Egypt are particularly fortunate in the range of influences on which they can draw. “We as Egyptians are very lucky to have had Pharaonic, Greco-Roman, Coptic, and Islamic cultures intersect here,” he says.
Sabry adds that while the brand targets a niche audience, it also attempts to bring the experimental to the masses, and is proving successful. “We do not label, nor do we categorize. We aim to reach all women with a common denominator: confidence. And a love for contemporary fashion and art," adds the young artist.
Both the TribalGlam and Armure collections have been well received by the Egyptian market.
“People responded very well to the bold rawness of the pieces. The media love it too," says Sabry.
