The eternal muse of the collections is the siblings’ mother Nadia (nicknamed Nado), the original talent who birthed this luxury house.
During the recent Paris Fashion Week, and to celebrate the debut of Nado’s in Paris, we spoke to Creative Director and Co-founder Maha El Sharafy about the story and design philosophy of Nado’s exquisite pieces.
AM: How was Nado’s Jewellery established?
It all started organically with my mother Nadia who is a natural talent in various sectors; cooking, tailoring, jewelry-making and so on. She did necklaces that my sister wore and sold continuously. One thing led to another and we decided to carry on her legacy. Later on, all my siblings jumped in and institutionalized the project into an official brand.
AM: How is it like to be part of a family business?
It’s full of advantages because each one of us has a specific role and we are all very cohesive.
AM: Tell us more about your creative process…
I am inspired
from everything around me, I start with crafting mini-pieces that are
constructed into a necklace or a pair of earrings. Everything is
handmade in Egypt, and while the collection might seem bulky it is
extremely light. All the jewelry is unique and you will not find one
piece that resembles the other.
AM: And why the emphasis on yellow gold?
All our collections are made from 21-karat gold which has a unique color that exudes joy.
AM: What are your thoughts about the Egyptian fashion scene?
The
ecosystem is developing strongly and after studying the market
thoroughly we found a big potential for our market. The know-how is like
no other and there’s a lot of creativity.
AM: How would you describe the Nado’s woman?
She is descent and sexy, we believe that our client doesn’t have to be revealing to be attractive.
AM: Some career highlights?
We
are dressing a lot of celebrities worldwide and most recently the brand
Jean Paul Gaultier featured our jewelry in one of their campaigns. Our
flagship store is also a proud accomplishment, located in New Cairo it
offers a unique retail experience in a very immersive and luxurious
boutique.
AM: Finally why did you decide to come to Paris this year? And what’s next for Nado’s?
Our
brand was designed to be international from the very first day.
Everything starts here in Paris so we look forward to expanding more in
Europe. We also have a prestigious project in Dubai, a collaboration
with a haute couture brand soon.