This is the second part of an interview with Mostafa Makhlouf of the Egyptian menswear magazine Uomo Moda, for which I also write.
Mostafa franchises 40 Italian brands in Egypt and, thus, has a lot of knowledge of the fashion scene in his country.
What can you tell me about Egyptian men and fashion?
Lately the scene is different as men have started to take more care about what they wear, whether in the look or in the brands. Globalization, the trade exchange agreements, and the financial crises have urged the world to exchange knowledge and products to widen the market. All has resulted in competition between manufacturers in different disciplines, which resulted in the benefit of the consumer.
How fashion conscious are Egyptian men?
Well, for the Egyptian market it depends on the social standard, which reflects the financial capability of buying brands. As fashion is luxury, for the high standards, yes, it does matter to wear brands not just high quality products.
Do Egyptian men prefer casual or formal styles?
I guess all people around the world prefer the casual, for the comfort it offers, but when formal is a need, they know how to wear it.
What trends are popular at the moment?
The American baggy style is much more used by young youth, age from 12 to 20 maximum.
Do Egyptian men look to a certain country for trends?
From my observation I believe that men look to Italy as the main country of setting trends for men and France for women.
What matters more, the brand name or the look?
Well, if the price is out of consideration, it’s much easier to convince the customer with a prestigious name like D&G, even it’s more expensive than other unknown labels. However, whoever prefers to wear D&G will continue to wear D&G. As people who can afford it easily look at it as a masterpiece not just an apparel.
What other menswear magazines are available to men in Egypt?
None, only Uomo Moda that is dedicated to menswear from cover to cover. It’s very funny that after we started to publish Uomo Moda some women fashion magazines started to give men a couple of pages within.
Lately the scene is different as men have started to take more care about what they wear, whether in the look or in the brands. Globalization, the trade exchange agreements, and the financial crises have urged the world to exchange knowledge and products to widen the market. All has resulted in competition between manufacturers in different disciplines, which resulted in the benefit of the consumer.
How fashion conscious are Egyptian men?
Well, for the Egyptian market it depends on the social standard, which reflects the financial capability of buying brands. As fashion is luxury, for the high standards, yes, it does matter to wear brands not just high quality products.
Do Egyptian men prefer casual or formal styles?
I guess all people around the world prefer the casual, for the comfort it offers, but when formal is a need, they know how to wear it.
What trends are popular at the moment?
The American baggy style is much more used by young youth, age from 12 to 20 maximum.
Do Egyptian men look to a certain country for trends?
From my observation I believe that men look to Italy as the main country of setting trends for men and France for women.
What matters more, the brand name or the look?
Well, if the price is out of consideration, it’s much easier to convince the customer with a prestigious name like D&G, even it’s more expensive than other unknown labels. However, whoever prefers to wear D&G will continue to wear D&G. As people who can afford it easily look at it as a masterpiece not just an apparel.
What other menswear magazines are available to men in Egypt?
None, only Uomo Moda that is dedicated to menswear from cover to cover. It’s very funny that after we started to publish Uomo Moda some women fashion magazines started to give men a couple of pages within.
