From cafes turning into salons to fashion brands throwing their own festivals, local businesses in the Middle East are getting creative with how they grow. These four brands aren’t just selling products — they’re building worlds.
Cult Coiffeur
What started as Cairo’s first matcha-and-bagel specialty spot is now turning into a full-on lifestyle experience. Cult, a women-led breakfast and brunch brand, just launched Cult Coiffeur — a salon where you can sip matcha, get pampered, and catch up with friends all at once. It’s not just a cafe anymore. It’s a vibe.
In Your Shoe Festival
Born from a sock battle between two friends, Egyptian brand In Your Shoe has grown into a bold, expressive fashion brand for Gen Z and millennials. And every year, they celebrate with a full-blown In Your Shoe Festival — think music, games, food, and serious drip. It’s brand loyalty done differently: loud, fun, and totally on-brand.
Hadia Ghaleb’s Tomohi Qatel Card Game
Egyptian influencer Hadia Ghaleb launched her swimwear line to bridge the gap between veiled and unveiled women. Now, her Dubai-based brand is expanding beyond the beach with eyewear, beach bags, summery fits, and most recently, a sassy card game collab with Egyptian meme queen Sarah Abouelkhair. It’s called Tomohi Qatel, and it’s just as bold as her swimwear.
Kotn’s Koshk
Known for its ethical fashion and minimal designs, Canadian-based Kotn has a supply chain deeply rooted in Egypt and has grown from the perfect tee to a full lifestyle brand. Beyond clothes and home linens, they’ve added cold fresh juices every weekend— a nostalgic nod to Egyptian juice kiosks — in Toronto. With every move, they stay rooted in community, quality, and doing good.
These Brands Get It
It’s not just about selling stuff — it’s about building spaces people want to be part of. Whether it’s a salon, a festival, or a juice stand with a story, expansion or cross-selling is getting way more creative — and way more personal.
We Also Said: Don’t Miss It…Turning Impulse Into Purpose: MENA Businesses Investing in Communities, Not Just Trends