OUTLOUD: Egyptian Carpet Legend Kahhal 1871 Presents a Three-Day Exhibition of Design, Art, and Heritage
Kahhal 1871 is back at it again! With a goal to cooperate with top designers from all over Egypt, shedding light on the heritage of Kahhal 1871, the modern luxury home of rugs.
Last year, Kahhal 1871 and Scoop Empire joined forces with five designers from the Middle East in the Kahhal 1871 Heritage Designers event. This year, Egypt’s oldest carpet design house stays true to its origins, yet launches a new, more daring venture built hand-in-hand with some of the most talented designers in Egypt. Kahhal 1871 presents OUTLOUD.
Kahhal 1871
Syrian, Abdallah El Kahhal, built his empire in 1871. Specializing in handmade carpets and rugs, Kahhal 1871 became Egypt’s most prominent carpet manufacturer. Its first factory was built in 1902, and its first showroom opened in 1936. Now, 150 years later, Kahhal 1871 is still combining heritage, modern design, and prestigious craftsmanship. It’s the leader of artisanship in Egypt, keeping hand-knotted carpets alive.
Kahhal 1871 has been refining homes, hotels, businesses, and royal residences for years, and it’s only just starting. This year’s collaboration, OUTLOUD event, showcases the creative designers from the design scene in Egypt who can change the meaning of luxury carpets.
OUTLOUD
The multidisciplinary collection is a culture, arts, and innovation exhibition. It’s brought to you by Kahhal 1871, right in the heart of Downtown Cairo in the historic Cinema Radio Theatre. The 90-year-old theatre represents Downtown’s cosmopolitan past and present; created by three international architects, Cinema Radio Theatre witnessed the best of film premieres and the finest concerts. Moreover, now it’s going to be home to Kahhal 1871’s lastest cooperative event, OUTLOUD, on Feb. 22, 23, and 24 from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. It will host the most elite of carpets, made by first-class designers.
Design Avenue
The architectural, interior, and landscape design company, Design Avenue teams up with Kahhal 1871, serving high-end quality and luxury. Design Avenue’s Head of Design Department, Mohamed Talaia, and the Head of Residential Design Department, Karen Fadel, are both collaborators in Kahhal 1871’s OUTLOUD. For both of them, a carpet is a canvas on which you can express yourself and your character. But most importantly, Talaia thinks a carpet represents warmth.
The expression of art comes down to the designers ability to push the limits in every project they work on. Karen of Design Avenue is an interior designer who expressed her unique way of design by challenging the process of luxury hand-knotted rug making with Kahhal 1871. The mixing of materials and vibrant colors in an unexpected way, led to the idea of layering and designing a product that drew 3 months of inspiration from everything around her. Design is a way of living, Kahhal1871 allowed Karen Fadel to create something that had no limits, a unique piece of art that conveyed her artistic vision. #KahhalHeritage #KAHHAL1871 #Kahhal1871xScoopEmpire #OUTLOUD #LuxuryLifestyle
Posted by Scoop Empire on Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Kahhal1871 x Talaia‘Caught In Motion’, the expression of movement, fluidity, and capturing a single moment in time, is how Mohamed Talaia from Design Avenue conveyed his creative vision while collaborating with Kahhal 1871. The joint venture between the expert community of hand-knotted luxury rugs, and the designer, brought about the creation of a modern abstract fluid product that is more than just a rug, but a moment of time. #KahhalHeritage #KAHHAL1871 #Kahhal1871xScoopEmpire #OUTLOUD #LuxuryLifestyle
Posted by Scoop Empire on Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Aya & Mounaz
Okhtein‘s fashion designers, Aya & Mounaz Abdelraouf take handmade kilim to another level. The Egyptian designers were inspired by traditional Turkish Kilim making, which highly focuses on symbols. The symbol they chose to incorporate in this partnership is the evil eye. Aya & Mounaz change the negative connotations of the evil eye by adding the geometrical shape on hand-knotted rugs in vibrant colors.
The art of Kilim rugs reinvented by the Egyptian designers Aya and Mounaz Abdelraouf! The two sisters share their modern take on traditional Turkish Kilim making, a 150 year old artisan tradition, with the desire to change the narrative of the fabled evil eye. From vibrant colors to geometrical designs, we sat down with the two designers who rendered their creative vision onto beautiful Kilims in collaboration with Kahhal 1871, and here is what they had to say! #Kahhal1871XMounazAndAya #KAHHAL1871 #Kahhal1871xScoopEmpire #OUTLOUD
Posted by Scoop Empire on Sunday, January 23, 2022
FORM
The founder of the integrative studio of interior design and furniture, Form, Enji Jaouda, is another designer that’s working with Kahhal 1871. Jaouda’s handmade rugs mix organic shapes, and use cutouts, ultimately creating a revolution in carpet making and design in Egypt. In her joint creation, she works on making the carpet a piece of the space and the floor.
Enji Jaouda opens up about her collaboration with Kahhal 1871! Her interpretation of the century long, heritage rich craft of rug making, is a direct representation of her artistic vision: Revival Of The Fittest. Enji chose to juxtapose organic elements of the rug design to create a sense of unity among the piece and the space it is in. #KahhalHeritage #KAHHAL1871 #Kahhal1871xScoopEmpire #OUTLOUD
Posted by Scoop Empire on Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Karim Mekhtigian
The founder of Alchemy Design Studio, Mekhtigian, is a designer who regularly blends traditions, modernity, technology, and cultural codes into his works. Mekhtigian’s handcrafted carpets capture the past as well as the present, in a vivid and multi-layered floor painting. This project with Kahhal 1871 has brought back artisanal craftsmanship and heritage.
Artisanal craftsmanship is a disappearing art form in Egypt, Kahhal 1871 aims to revive the trade by collaborating with respected artists. We sat down with Karim Mekhtigian, a designer that believes a good design is one that combines cultural codes, traditions, modern visions, and new technologies while in one of his restored designs, La Viennoise in Downton Cairo. His luxury hand-knotted rug designs portray the layering of the past into the present. He pulls inspiration from his past, and the city and its people. He uses a layering technique which is expressed by adding layers of different eras that interlace with one another to form a vivid painting. #KahhalHeritage #KAHHAL1871 #Kahhal1871xScoopEmpire #OUTLOUD #LuxuryLifestyle
Posted by Scoop Empire on Sunday, January 30, 2022
Ahmad Fayyad
Founder of F&R Partnership, the minimal architecture, and interior design office, is now working on hand-knotted carpets with Kahhal 1871. Minimalism shows in every aspect of his life, be it the way he works or the way he lives. To Fayyad, this project is special because it unites many field specialists, from fashion, architecture, to interior design, and they’re all working on conceptualizing their essence through handmade carpets.
Kahhal1871 x Ahmad FayyadAhmad Fayyad, the latest Kahhal 1871 collaborator, is passionate about minimal architecture. He described the creative process of designing his collection as an enlightening experience, but ultimately the joint venture was successful in creating a unique luxury hand knotted rug collection. Ahmad Fayyad grew up with a minimalist mindset which has consequently shaped his personality, design approach, and led to the start of his brand, F&R Partnership #KahhalHeritage #KAHHAL1871 #Kahhal1871xScoopEmpire #OUTLOUD #LuxuryLifestyle
Posted by Scoop Empire on Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Yasmina Makram
The interior architect and founder of the design studio, YM, is bringing cubism and modernism into the world of carpets. In her dynamic project with Kahhal 1871, Makram uses geometrical, interlacing shapes. With a thorough process of color and material selection, the end result is actually full of heritage and history. Her creative vision was executed through teamwork and a lot of back and forth. Most importantly, Makram thinks this is not going to be her last time working on carpets.
Kahhal1871 X Yasmina MakramYasmina Makram is an interior architect and owns her own design studio, YM! Yasmina’s vision is driven by authenticity, subtlety, and harmony. She draws inspiration from history, heritage, and lifestyle, thus, her collaboration with Kahhal 1871, was heavily influenced by the post World War I Modernist movement in art and architecture. Yasmina Makram studio takes on that era and moment in art history through the agency of Cubism techniques and the work of Fernand Léger. She is eager to share the finished product that truly reflects her studio’s creative vision through the use of purples, yellows, blues and brick tones to accentuate the flat geometric forms and simple overlapping shapes. Head to the link in bio to watch Yasmina’s full interview! #KahhalHeritage #KAHHAL1871 #Kahhal1871xScoopEmpire #OUTLOUD #LuxuryLifestyle
Posted by Scoop Empire on Sunday, February 6, 2022
The Design Point
Karim El Hayawan and Nihal Leheta‘s interior design studio, The Design Point, put its head together with Kahhal 1871. Inspired by the environment and Egyptian heritage, their work utilizes Egyptian natural elements. Using Palm trees’ fronds, silk and wool, they weave three separate handmade carpets, then integrate them together into one luxury carpet. Design Point and Kahhal 1871 celebrate differences that only create unique pieces!
The environment is an eternal source of inspiration to Karim and Nehal, co-founders of Design Point Egypt, who have recently collaborated with Kahhal 1871. They decided to commemorate the artisanship of luxury hand-knotted rugs by taking inspiration from the Egyptian heritage and weave naturally found materials to create something that symbolizes where they come from. This new era of design and enhancement has allowed Karim El Hayawan, and Nehal Leheta to create and infuse all the elements of design: the form, function, and aesthetic all together to create something unique to their style! #KahhalHeritage #KAHHAL1871 #Kahhal1871xScoopEmpire #OUTLOUD #LuxuryLifestyle
Posted by Scoop Empire on Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Maram Abo El Enein
The fashion designer is taking her creativity to another level, creating hand-woven kilims. With the helping hand of Kahhal 1871, Maram translates her fashion aesthetic into carpet design. They create a new type of art, bringing heritage, modernity, and tradition into focus together. Such pieces can be used in whichever way, as they’re no longer just a part of the floor. Rather, they’re an artistic expression that can even be put on a wall.
Being able to translate her world of fashion onto a luxury hand-knotted collection was an incredible venture Maram was excited to create with Kahhal 1871 Maram merged her creative vision with an ancient craft to design unique hand-woven rugs that radiate modernity and tradition intended to be personalized and styled differently from owner to owner. Maram created intricate pieces that hold generations’ worth of craftsmanship and provide the liberty to display them in several ways, whether that be in a summer home, hung from a wall like art, or displayed under a couch. #KahhalHeritage #KAHHAL1871 #Kahhal1871xScoopEmpire #OUTLOUD #LuxuryLifestyle
Posted by Scoop Empire on Saturday, February 12, 2022
Mona Hussein
Mona Hussein is the founder of Mahally with Mouna Hussein. Normally working in interior design, landscape, and architecture, the designer takes her experience in the design scene and transforms it into hand-knotted rugs. Working with Kahhal 1871, they’ve created high-end, statement, centerpieces. Moreover, her collection is inspired by nature and it has three pieces that represent a part of it. She’s created the type of rug that you’d consider art and fit your room around.
Kahhal1871 X Mouna HessinA down-to-earth yet naturally inspired luxury hand-knotted rug is the inspiration behind Mona Hussein’s collaboration with Kahhal 1871. The idea behind this collection was to produce a rug you design your room around; a collection that acts as a statement piece and adds ever-changing energy to any room it is placed in. Mona Hussein Design House’s objective was to create three naturally inspired rugs, one inspired from the roaring seas, one from the winds and storms, and one from the layers of the mountains that illustrate the years of humanity. The second collaboration between Kahhal1871 and Mona Hussein is a depiction of heritage; the many years of traditional craftsmanship, working with wool and silk, but with a modern and contemporary look that suits today’s world. #KahhalHeritage #KAHHAL1871 #Kahhal1871xScoopEmpire #OUTLOUD #LuxuryLifestyle
Posted by Scoop Empire on Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Mohamed Fares
The co-founder of Alchemy Design Studio and designer delves into his artistic roots with the assistance of Kahhal 1871. Tapping into his experience of art, architecture, lifestyle, and fashion, Fares brings something new to the table. Combining heritage, workmanship, and modernity, the collection is made of three different pieces: one is inspired by pop art, another by heritage, and the third was formless, revolutionizing artisanship in Egypt.
Kahhal1871 x Fares‘Newness’ , an expression of art, architecture, lifestyle, and fashion, a product that is more than just a rug. We sat down with Fares about his approach to adding to the heritage and the workmanship that already exists and kept alive by Kahhal 1871. He believes in the idea of designing in the now, the contribution to tradition is the story that added value to all the designers in this collaboration. It’s not only about product; it’s about the living space, and the experience you get to create for others to enjoy. #KahhalHeritage #KAHHAL1871 #Kahhal1871xScoopEmpire #OUTLOUD #LuxuryLifestyle
Posted by Scoop Empire on Friday, February 18, 2022
Cherif Morsi
The creative designer is into all types of artistic explorations. Yet joining Kahhal 1871 for this project marks his first time working on carpets. Morsi is inspired by Islamic culture, for its abstract yet modern architecture, as well as Japanese culture, which he calls human-centric. Thus, his collection is mostly about abstract and contemporary shapes. He created three carpets: the Arc, the Blossom, Collusion. Furthermore, it doesn’t seem like this is his last project exploring different forms of design.
An event that size, gathering interior designers, architectures, and fashion designers to create handmade carpets and kilims is revolutionizing design in Egypt. It combines luxury, modernity, heritage, and craftsmanship by uniting unique individuals.
The night of culture, heritage, and art starts on Feb. 22 with a private event and lasts until Feb. 24. Sign up now and register with the invitation link to attend the event!
