Otherside of the Story - Egypt

There’s a big gap between rich and poor in Egypt, and we spent a lot of time in poorer parts of town, but on our last day, we left the muddy streets and headed for City Stars. An US $800M mall, cinema and hotel complex that see 10,000,000 million visitors a year.



Veiled women, unveiled women and guys in jeans and t-shirts chatted together in Starbucks and shopped in European chain stores. French Connection is located right next to a store called ‘Veil’ where hijab are styled and paired with fashionable outfits.



Visually, the streets of Cairo are a sharp contrast to City Stars. But just below the surface some things are still the same. Negla picks up trends and ideas about how to wear her veil from the other women in her neighborhood. Souhaila browses through the nail polish bin outside her local pharmacy.



Truth: There are so many things dividing the women of Egypt; class, income, religion, veils… but beauty, fashion and femininity prove that some things will always connect more than they divide.