Thursday March 28th, 2024
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This Lush Leather Bag Brand is Made in Egypt

At first glance, Joe’s Leather Goods looks like a brand made for a man’s man. A real rugged, bearded, outdoor-loving, lumberjack type. And while true, this local leather brand is more progressive than meets the eye with their genderless pieces.

Staff Writer

This Lush Leather Bag Brand is Made in Egypt

At first glance, Joe’s Leather Goods looks like a brand made for a man’s man. A real rugged, bearded, outdoor-loving, lumberjack type. And while that may be true, this local leather brand is more progressive than meets the eye. Fashioning genderless pieces, this up-and-coming label focuses on rugged style, true quality craftsmanship and a lot of passion.


After coming back from a six-year hiatus in France, Youssef Hazzi (aka Joe) finally returned to the motherland to work in advertising. It didn’t last long.


“I didn’t like advertising work in Egypt because of how little agency I had over my work," Hazzi tells CairoScene. "All of the decisions are left up to the client, and that really closed me off creatively.”


On a mission to find an outlet to get both his mind and hands working, Hazzi finally had his lightbulb moment when he saw a leather crafts video online. “I was completely mesmerized," Hazzi says. "I’ve always loved working with my hands doing things like woodworking. I knew I had to try working with leather.”


Months onward, Joe now spends his time designing new products almost exclusively from high quality, full-grain leather from local tanneries. With quality and practicality as his core design goals, he pays no mind to whoever calls his designs understated. “Yes my designs can be rugged," Hazzi adds. "But they’re just practical. Life is rugged. It has ups and downs and yet it is still simple, just like my designs.”