• Proudly recognized at an international level for the second time

Cairo, Egypt –  Cairo Festival City Mall’s groundbreaking Cairo Fashion Experience project, in partnership with Vogue Italia, has been awarded the prestigious ICSC Maxi Award. This is the project's second international award, following its recognition by MECSC in December 2022. The project was introduced by CFC Mall in 2021 as a unique scouting project to support emerging Egyptian designers, and its global recognition is a testament to its impact and appeal.

Cairo Fashion Experience project aligns with CFC Mall’s strategy of supporting young talents and contributing to the fashion industry by opening up new opportunities for the next generations of local fashion designers.

The program began with hundreds of applicants submitting their work to Cairo Fashion Experience committee. A selected group of ten finalists were chosen based on their style, innovation, and sustainability. The three finalists were given the opportunity to attend workshops and get mentored by Sara Sozzani, and Marco Rambaldi in Milan. Furthermore, these talented designers showcased their collections at Milan Fashion Week, at the Vogue Italia event where they received international exposure from International designers, Media and the Italian fashion community. Eventually, the three finalists will have their collections displayed at Festival Avenue, the new luxury expansion of Cairo Festival City Mall, through a pop-up display dedicated to their collections.

In addition, Festival Avenue is expected to introduce a series of first-to-the-market luxury men’s and women’s fashion brands together with jewelry and watch brands that will call the Avenue their first address in Egypt. Festival Avenue will also offer an entertainment destination for all ages and an assortment of restaurants with indoor and alfresco outdoor seating. In this context, with over 45,000 square annexed to Cairo Festival City Mall, Festival Avenue is bound to be Egypt’s ultimate fashion forward destination, and the leading retail address and commercial center point in the MENA region, aiming to deliver exceptional retail, and recreational environments for customers.

"We couldn't be more thrilled with the incredible strides our project has taken - especially as this marks our project’s second worldwide acknowledgment," said Heba Abdallah, Head of Marketing at Cairo Festival City Mall. "This recognition stands as proof of our program's creative ingenuity and its success in empowering local designers and we would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Vogue Italia for this incredibly valuable partnership and our jury members Elisa Sednaoui, Model and Social Entrepreneur; Hend Sabry, Actress, Producer and WFP ambassador; Manuel Arnaut, Editor-in-Chief Vogue Arabia;  Sara Sozzani Maino, Head of Special Projects Vogue Italia and Veronica Etro, Womenswear Creative Director Etro. The jury also included Mounaz and Aya Abdel Raouf, Founders of Okhtein brand.”

Abdallah added, "Being granted such prestigious awards reinforce our dedication to supporting the talents of Egyptian designers on a global platform. As we look forward, we remain steadfast in our mission to nurture and uplift emerging creatives both locally and internationally."

Cairo Fashion Experience project by CFC Mall is transforming the fashion industry in Egypt and gaining international recognition. This one-of-a-kind project is garnering global recognition and putting CFC Mall & the Egyptian fashion industry at the center stage of the ICSC Maxi Awards in the USA. Not only this, Cairo Festival City Mall last year won 5 Awards, including two Gold and three Silver MENA Shopping Centre & Retailer 2022 Awards by The Retail Congress MENA Awards 2022, and Cairo Fashion Experience was acknowledged within the “Cause-Related Marketing” with a Gold Award. Such awards align with the mall’s mission to support the fashion industry and its emerging designers by allowing them to exhibit their work internationally.

It is worth noting that The ICSC Global Awards hold a prestigious reputation as the ultimate accolade for professional excellence within the marketplaces industry and are deemed to be the ultimate recognition of professional excellence in both the retail and real estate spheres.

ABOUT CAIRO FESTIVAL CITY Mall

Spanning a land area of over 3 million sq. m (700 acres), Cairo Festival City is a visionary, mixed-use urban community strategically located at the gateway to New Cairo city. Cairo Festival City sets new standards as Egypt’s premier indoor-outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment destination, providing spectacular residential villas and luxurious apartments, as well as prime office spaces, together with internationally renowned hotels, international schools, and automotive showrooms, all set within a beautifully landscaped and tranquil community. Combining a relaxing lifestyle and picturesque landscapes, the many parks, gardens, walkways, and plazas bring together the districts to enhance and foster gatherings for family and friends as an addition to Cairo Festival City amenities. A truly distinctive lifestyle experience where meticulous attention to detail is obvious and all elements of the project are seamlessly interconnected. Cairo Festival City Mall (CFC Mall) was established in 2013 to extend over 160,000 sqm gross leasable area. CFC Mall has risen to become the number one shopping and entertainment destination for Cairo, containing more than 300 shops, 95 restaurants and cafes anchored by 10,755 sqm Carrefour hypermarket and home furniture flagship store, two department stores, all served by 7,000 parking spaces, and launched the country's most eagerly awaited fashion destination, Festival Avenue, Egypt’s upcoming hottest premier fashion destination at Cairo Festival City Mall (CFC Mall) opening, which will include 80 shops and 15 restaurants to CFC Mall’s current 310 outlets.

More about Al Futtaim 

Al-Futtaim Group, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, pioneered the commerce sector in the 1930s and has since evolved to become one of the most versatile and sophisticated regional companies. The corporation is divided into five operational divisions: automotive, financial services, real estate, and retail; it employs roughly 42,000 people in more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. It also collaborates with over 200 of the world's most renowned and creative brands. Al Futtaim's leadership and unwavering emphasis on customers enable the organization to constantly upgrade and flourish significantly while responding to our customers' ever-changing demands within the communities in which we serve. Day after day, Al-Futtaim enriches its consumers' lives and aspirations by adhering to our core values of respect, excellence, teamwork, and honesty. Please visit www.alfuttaim.com for further details.

About Al-Futtaim Malls

Al-Futtaim Malls provides development and asset management expertise, specializing in building retail-led super regional malls in prime locations across MENA and beyond. With a proven track record of creating both sustainable revenue growth and value enhancement for tenants, Al-Futtaim Malls delivers exceptional experiences and exciting shopping environments for customers.

Part of the Al-Futtaim Group, Al-Futtaim Malls leadership team brings more than 30 years of experience and a deep understanding and knowledge of the retail sector, both from a shopper’s point of view but as curators of space or landlords to other brands. The company has a directly managed portfolio including over 9 million sqft of retail space across four malls in the MENA region and two under development. Malls under the Al-Futtaim Malls portfolio include Dubai Festival City Mall and Festival Plaza in the UAE, Cairo Festival City Mall in Egypt and Doha Festival City in Qatar.

PLEX Management Services is part of Al-Futtaim Malls within the Al-Futtaim Group, one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses. Leveraging on the expertise of its parent company, Al-Futtaim Malls, PLEX Management Services offers a full array of services including asset management and development, leasing, and brand experience expertise to shopping malls and retail organizations in the MENA region and beyond.

For more information on Al-Futtaim Malls, please visit https://www.al-futtaimmalls.com/