Our debut collection, Amarna began with the reworking of King Tutankhamun’s instantly recognisable mask into something else entirely: a top-handle day bag.
A collection of luxury modern artefacts born from a passion for reinvigorating symbols of the past, reinterpreting age-old concepts, and giving new meaning to ancient shapes.
“We were captivated by a book titled the royal women of Amarna,” explained designers Ahmed Sabry and Daki Marouf. Published by the metropolitan museum of art, the book spoke of the time King Akhenaten and Nefertiti ruled (1351–1334 BC), bringing a revolutionary era in religion, art and society.
Surrounding themselves with artists, who for the first time were allowed to develop their own style, art moved from the rigid and dogmatic into a more humanist direction.
Image: : An intimate and affectionate portrayal of two princesses distinct to the Amarna period. Facsimile painting of the preserved lower wall in the King’s house, by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).
The royal sculptor Thutmose is the most renowned of this unique period, which played out for just two decades before Amarna was deserted. His bust of Nefertiti was discovered by Ludwig Borchardt in 1912.
Image: Limestone busts of Akhenaten and Nefertiti in Neues Museum, Berlin. Expressive Realism like this had never been seen before in Egypt and lasted only through their reign, not being being seen again until the Greco-Roman period in Egypt..
We find this story of conviction, love, enlightenment, creativity and ultimate destruction of the Akhenaten & Nefertiti's city of Akhetaten, which embodied all of these new artistic movements, very moving.
The ancient Egyptians pioneered the notion of luxury. We want to create our own timeless artefacts too, transforming the essence of thutmose's style into a new design language and very special product.
Bag Shown: The King Tut Bag in Obsidian Black and Mahogany
What really characterises our collection is the journey we’re setting out on to make sense of our heritage using the tools available to us today.
Merging the latest processes with artisanal hand technique, Amarna is the result of a long process of actualisation. The bags are unique shapes within the conventions of traditional leather goods so the designs require considerable time and skill.
Bag shown: The Djed Minaudière in Tan Nappa leather.
A contemporary take on this aesthetic, the bags are skilfully crafted by by the process of hand-molding fine nappa leather over a shock-proof yet flexible, sustainable bio-plastic shell and are fully lined inside in natural suede.
Bag Shown: The Scarab Mini-Bag in Tan. Shown here with chain strap.
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