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Egypt is using the ancient grandeur of its pyramids as a backdrop for pop concerts and fashion shows, hoping to boost its image, tourism and the luxury brand sector beloved by its moneyed elite.

French fashion house Dior debuted its latest collection last Saturday at the Giza pyramids, after Italian designer Stefano Ricci held a show at Luxor’s dramatic Temple of Hatshepsut in October.

Dior chief executive Pietro Beccari said the fashion house chose the pyramids as far more than “just a useless background”, drawing on Egyptian astrology for the collection named “Celestial”.

Before that, American pop bands Maroon 5 and the Black Eyed Peas performed at the Giza Necropolis, where contemporary art was also recently shown at the latest Art d’Egypte exhibition.

Egypt heading in a new direction

The modern cultural push is a new direction for Egypt’s image.

Long a cultural powerhouse in the Arab world, with wildly popular singers and movie stars especially in its heyday in the 1950s-70s, Egypt has set its sights on its ancient heritage to attract the global spotlight once more.

A harbinger of the new embrace of ancient culture and history was a “golden parade” last year of 22 pharaohs that crossed Cairo from an old to a new museum in a carnival-style grand spectacle.

It was part of a push by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government to revive tourism, which accounts for 10% of gross domestic product and some two million jobs but has been hammered by political unrest, economic upheaval and the Covid pandemic.

Showcasing Egypt’s heritage in a new context “will encourage other brands and international cultural figures to come to Egypt,” said art historian Bahia Shehab.

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Putting Egypt on the global fashion map

Fashion photographer Mohsen Othman agreed that such glamorous events are “vital”.

Big brands like Dior “come in with a huge budget”, employ local talent and “support young creators who can put Egypt on the global fashion map”.

Iman Eldeeb, whose agency cast two Egyptian models for last Saturday’s show, said it was a “long-awaited step for the fashion world in Egypt”.

Egypt’s luxury goods sector has grown despite years of economic turmoil that saw the pound lose half its value in a 2016 currency devaluation.

Despite the downturn, Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, is home to 86 000 millionaires, according to the bank Credit Suisse.

“The richest one percent are enough to create demand,” said public relations specialist Ingy Ismail, who advises luxury brands.

Boutiques in shopping centres in Cairo’s chic new satellite cities, she said, are “up to the standards of international luxury brands”.

Egypt’s bubble of super rich has helped create a home-grown fashion design scene whose pioneers have recently ventured onto the catwalks of Milan and Paris.

At this year’s Paris Fashion Week, Cairo-based luxury brand Okhtein showed a resin-made bustier that evoked Egyptian alabaster at French fashion house Balmain’s show.

“It was a rare success story for Egypt’s creative sector, where “most people are self-taught, working hard with scarce resources to try and meet international standards”, said Othman, the photographer.

Exposure from international events

International events offer rare exposure, but getting them to the country is still a challenge.

“It is a big step for the government to authorise Art d’Egypte and Dior to organise events at the foot of the pyramids,” the art show’s curator, Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, said.

Red tape and tight restrictions can still get in the way, she suggested, conceding that “the legislative framework is complicated”.

But “promoting the country’s culture” must be a priority, added Abdel Ghaffar, who believes a dedicated government body could better promote exhibitions, concerts, shows and even film production.

Shehab, the art historian, said many realise Egypt, known for its timeless architectural marvels in the desert, needs to project an updated image of itself.

“There’s more and more awareness about the need for soft power and for culture as a representation for the country,” she said, cautioning however that Egypt still requires “better infrastructure” to make this happen.

She even dared dream that Egypt could draw in Hollywood productions, if it only starts granting permits.

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