YF Designs: Snakeskin Sophistication

Egypt has recently seen a surge in bag designers, with everything from colourful clutches to super-printed totes; they’re bright, funky, patterned, floral, cute, feature eclectic art... But in this avalanche, one brand is swimming ain a different direction and just doing statement, simple, chic. YF Designs, the brainchild of Yosra Fathy is heavily focused on python leather bags, creating an array of chic purses, handbags, clutches, messenger bags and more that are all very high-powered-Manhattanite-businesswoman-who-goes-to-work-looking-ultra-stylish-and-put-together-always. The kind of bag that you can wear if you’re a (really chic) 16-year old, à la Upper East Side Gossip Girl or a stylish working woman, YF Designs has been worn by a myriad of stylish icons in Cairo, from Noha Elsherbiny to Farah Emara to Berna Ibrahim.

The bags are the perfect accessories to add some chic to an outfit as well as make a statement, as the colours range from neutral ivories to sophisticated blood red to more eclectic mustard hues, all while maintaining a streamlined, stylish aesthetic. “The brand is actually kind of a reflection of my taste. They're pieces I was looking for but couldn’t find, so I made them myself,” Fathy tells us. “Essentially it’s all about combining practicality and style, while also keeping the designs up-to-date and on-trend.” The entire brand began because she was searching for the perfect bag, one which combined size (any female will tell you your everyday bag needs to be able to carry three elephants and a mango, an outing bag needs to be more slender, a beach bag needs to be able to hold two dinosaurs…You get the idea) and was also practical to hold, comfortable to deal with and stylish to boot.

“I love the look of Python leather,” Fathy says of the material that is featured on the majority of the bags. “Our family has a leather factory so that facilitated me making the bags and ensuring that it was really high quality and also that I had access to a wide range of different options in terms of colour and so on.”

The bags transition seamlessly from day to night, work to dinner, whether it's casual or fancypants, and the summer range of beach bags, which incorporate plastic, bring some chic vibes to the shore. Plus, Fathy has a new collection in the works, set to be released in October and though, it’s a surprise reveal, she has told us that this time around she’s straying from the Python leather which has come to be the brand’s signature and going in a different direction… We can’t wait to see what are sure to be some seriously chic results!

You can check out their Facebook page here or follow them on Instagram @yf_designs.