Egyptian artisans carve a path to world luxury markets

Egyptian jewellery, fashion and high-end home ware makers are trying to bring their age-old designs to a global luxury goods markets, while the sector suffers severe modern-day restraints.

Goya Gallagher, founder of Cairo-based Malaika Linens said "We started because Egyptian cotton is famous worldwide , but when we started 20 years ago there were no home-grown brands, so you would find Egyptian cotton in forging brands all over the world but nothing in Egypt, everything was just being exported."

"Luxury brands don't have to cost a fortune and I think for us the luxury is about the craftsmanship and it is about the quality." Many struggle to keep alive traditional craftsmanship and to crack into a highly competitive international market at a time of deep economic crisis at home and a lack of government support.