Art & Culture

5 Highlights From Cairo Design Week 2025

BYYassine Hariss

December 4, 2025

And just like that, the third edition of Cairo Design Week (CDW) has come to an end. Wrapping 10-days of showcases, networking opportunities, and large-scale installations, the event transformed parts of Egypt’s administrative capital into hubs for creatives from all over the spectrum of contemporary art and culture.

Running from Nov. 20-29, across Heliopolis, Zamalek, and Downtown— three historically popular neighborhoods in Cairo— this year’s iteration drew in hundreds of designers, studios, and institutions from across the region and beyond in an effort to push emerging talent into visibility and spotlight the next generation of visual artists, all while building an ecosystem that can live beyond the week itself and survive long-term.

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“Cairo Design Week 2025 has demonstrated the power of creativity and collaboration to connect people, ideas, and cultures. This edition brought together designers, artists, and audiences from across the region, transforming Cairo into a living showcase of bold ideas and cultural exchange, while shining a spotlight on the next generation of design talent. It affirms Cairo’s growing influence in shaping the regional and global conversation around design,“ Hisham Mahdy, Founder of Cairo Design Week, noted in a shared press-release.

Under the theme “Design So I Can See You,” which explores the human side of design and hosted experiences that made people slow down, interact, and feel what was put before them, a string of events were rolled out across the city, each offering their own take on how design can shape, and be shaped by, the people moving through it.

In case you missed it, read on for five highlights moments from CDW 2025.

Fashion Design District at Ghurnata Palace

Cairo Design Week 2025 opened with the Fashion Design District debuting its new home at Ghurnata Palace in Heliopolis. Curated by Maison Pyramide with Mai Galal, the district treats fashion as a form of cultural expression rather than a cycle of trends. A standout feature is the display of dresses and jewelry first seen at the Grand Egyptian Museum’s opening, linking Egypt’s historic craftsmanship with its modern creative scene. Brands showing this year included Nicolas Jebran, BOSS, AllSaints, Maje, Rami Salamoun, Okhtein, Michael Oro, Mayka, Farah Seif, Nadine Makar Couture, Soha Murad, Salem Alta Moda, Sara El Emary, Saqhoute, Almah, Bulga, Laboga, Reform Studio, Meroe, Talalya, Ahmed Nabil, Rebel Cairo, Sally Antar Designs, Nour Azazy, Moja, and Omni’s.

Cairo Design Awards

As it has now become tradition, the week signed off with the Cairo Design Awards, a ceremony that spotlights creative talent across six major categories and more than 20 subcategories. The honors were handed out during the closing night by a jury panel of over 10 influential figures, including renowned Egyptian designer Dina Shaker, interdisciplinary Italian artist Paolo Cardini, and Coventry University lecturer Dr. Aysar Ghassan, each bringing their own expertise to the selection process. The full list of this year’s third-edition winners can be found here.

Islamic Ceramics Museum

Curated by KA under the direction of Hisham El Eissawy, the Islamic Ceramics Museum ended up serving a sharp, laid-back showcase of some of Egypt’s most respected handcraft traditions. The exhibition pulled together a mix of standout artisanal brands, each reflecting the depth, range, and small cultural quirks that sit inside Egypt’s many subcultures. From ceramics and textiles to more contemporary craft takes, every piece flipped heritage through a modern lens, highlighting the skill, symbolism, and quiet poetry baked into handmade work. The museum basically became a conversation between past and present — a space where craftsmanship wasn’t just preserved, but reshaped and reimagined for the culture we’re living in now.

Mazeej Fashion (Twin Service) Experience

Mazeej Balad: Twin Service saw MODH × MAYKA transform a hotel into a bright, experimental mix of art and fashion, becoming a living mood board that carried FDD’s signature boldness.

Reality at the factory (THREADS OF EGYPT)

C-Reality’s Threads of Egypt at The Factory basically broke the country down into five moods and rebuilt them through furniture. The Delta showed up as clean grids and layered fields; Alexandria was all soft curves and sea-worn textures; Cairo brought the structured, slightly chaotic energy you’d expect; Upper Egypt leaned into sculptural shapes and Talli-inspired details; and Siwa kept it minimal and earthy, like the oasis itself. Together, it proved how different Egypt feels the second you move from one region to another. The whole setup mixed interior design with curated pieces made alongside collaborators like Geb, who handled the wall textures, and Christian Le Pascha, who hosted the nightly dinners folded into the experience.

5 Highlights From Cairo Design Week 2025

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5 Highlights From Cairo Design Week 2025

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