“There are only two existing pairs of the George Hogg sunglasses I’m wearing. I have another pair that cost me EGP5. To get the same quality nowadays, you’d need to buy luxury shades,” Bisriat Vintage founder Ahmed Menna tells SceneStyled. Even though he’s been working in fashion since 2009 as a visual merchandiser and at the likes of retail giant Azadea, he’s always had a soft spot for sunglasses in particular. Now he’s online selling vintage shades like they never went out of style - which, let’s face it, they just don’t. “Just like every outfit needs different jewellery to pop, every look needs its own shades. I would argue shades are even more powerful, because they create a new character, whereas other accessories usually only serve to complement what is already there.”

When asked about where he sources the vintage shades that he restores and sells, Menna was quick to mention small mom and pop shops in Abdeen or Bab El Louk at the heart of Downtown Cairo. “I have glasses that are 70 years old and they’re extremely different from current shades in the market. You can feel the weight of the shades in your hand. People used to care about craftsmanship back then, and paid attention to detail.”

Once Menna finds what he’s looking for, the vintage glasses are then dismantled and restored over three or four stages, which he oversees himself. The bulk of his stock hail from brands that are French, Italian, German, and Egyptian. In fact, one of his very favourite is a now-defunct local brand called Haby. Ever since Menna launched Bisriat over a year ago, he’s sold glasses to the insider fashion clientele he’s worked with over his career - people who’ll truly appreciate the pieces.

To this day, there are some finds he thinks are just too special to resell, and keeps them as antiques. But for those he thinks would add a je ne sais quois to your look, they’re available via @bisriat_vintage’s DMs.