An indisputable and authentic trademark of her fashion philosophy, Egyptian designer Amna El Shandaweely has made a name for herself since bursting on the scene in 2016 for the unique way in which she celebrates Arab and African identity through her contemporary designs.

In her latest collection, she channels both the distinctive regalia of Arab royalty and the innate rebelliousness that has become both the gift and curse of the Arab in a special homage to the North African man.

“They are part of African Identity yet considered as the cousin who never attends family gathering,” Shandaweely said of North Africa’s seeming detachment to the rest of the continent. “It’s a message for them to start wearing what they want to wear, not what the society wants them to wear.”

The collection is full of dark prints that feed into an overall minimal look, highlighted most spectacularly by a range of trousers and blazers that even represent the North African landscape; the use of blues and navies seem as much inspired by the Nile and Draa Rivers, as the browns and beiges are by the Sahara Desert.

In drawing from a range of regional inspirations, Shandaweely’s collection subtly but effectively fuses familiar Arab and African touches, creating a chic, modern representation of a region that is much more culturally diverse than its given credit for. Check out more of the collection below.