Some women create brands. Others create worlds. Aya Abdelraouf, co-founder of Okhtein, has spent the last twelve years building one rooted in identity, craftsmanship, and storytelling. Together with her sister Mounaz, the Egyptian luxury accessories brand has grown from a shared vision in Cairo into a globally recognized name all while staying deeply connected to its Arab roots.
Beyond the world of fashion and design, Aya is also a new mother, a storyteller, and someone who believes that beauty should always carry meaning.
In this special conversation, we speak with Aya about Egypt and inspiration, motherhood and balance, the emotional value of jewelry, and the deeply personal necklace she created to celebrate her daughter a piece designed not only as a keepsake, but as a love letter to the Arabic language itself.
In a few words, who is Aya? Tell us more about yourself.
A builder. Someone who believes that beauty can carry meaning, and that where you come from is a strength, not a limitation. I’m a sister, a wife, a new mother, and someone who is most alive when creating something from nothing.
Egypt is a country full of beautiful heritage and inspiration. What does Egypt mean to you and how does living there inspire you?
Egypt is overwhelming in the best way , the light, the noise, the history sitting right next to the everyday. It reminds me that beauty doesn’t need to be precious or protected. It just exists, unapologetically. That’s something I try to bring into everything I make.
Tell us more about your brand. How long has it been?
Okhtein is twelve years old, built by my sister Mounaz and me in Cairo. It started as two sisters with a point of view and has grown into a global luxury accessories brand. The name means “two sisters” in Arabic; that’s still the whole truth of it. It's also a family affair, with our brother as CEO.
What has been the biggest highlight throughout the years, and what have been some of the biggest challenges?
The highlights are the moments when the world meets something we made and recognizes something in it, a woman in Paris carrying a bag we designed in Cairo. The challenge has always been building an Arab luxury brand in a landscape that didn’t have a template for us. We had to write our own rules.
We would love to learn more about you as a mother, how do you balance motherhood with being a brand owner of Okhtein?
Honestly, I’m still figuring it out. What I’ve learned is that you stop trying to keep them separate and start letting them inform each other. Becoming a mother has made me more decisive, more intentional. I have less time, so I waste less of it.
What's your favourite hobby?
I love reading about how things started, the history behind people, places, and ideas. My browser tabs are a chaos of the most random rabbit holes. I also shoot with a Leica when something catches my eye. I wouldn’t call it a serious hobby, but the photographs end up inspiring a lot of what I make.
What is a favourite travel destination?
I love traveling to new places, I've traveled a lot with my sister and we've checked a list of cities worldwide, I have a few cities I love visiting such as Paris, Mykonos and Ibiza. They are my happy places.
What is a favourite piece currently from your collections whether handbags or jewelry? or one of each? and why?
My favorite pieces would be the bags under the muse and goddess category. The malleable clutch and the mini duo are my favorite, and of course the full brass Sahra clutch.
What is a special jewelry piece you have? Something truly memorable and special?
Two pieces come to mind. The first is a large Fairouz stone my grandmother gifted me at birth. I lost it a few years ago, unfortunately. The second is our sister bangle, a charm based on the Okhtein logo that’s designed to be split between two people. Mine is with Mounaz, of course. The rod represents two directions that remain connected — which is honestly the most accurate description of my relationship with my sister, and of everything we’ve built together.
As someone in the world of jewelry and luxury, how do you see jewelry as a way of celebrating milestones and relationships?
Jewelry is one of the only things you wear that came from someone else’s hands and lands on someone else’s body and carries the story in between. A milestone without an object to mark it can blur over time. Jewelery doesn’t let you forget.
We would love to hear more about your special story, could you share what it means to you and what is it?
When my daughter was born, I wanted a piece with her name on it, but not in the way it’s usually done. I had the Arabic letters of her name stacked vertically, each one standing alone. Arabic script is so strong, each letter has its own architecture, and isolating them felt like the right way to honor that. It’s personal and it’s a love letter to my language at the same time.
What is a quote you live by?
"Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” Carl Jung
Where can people shop Okhtein?
At okhtein.com, and in select luxury retailers globally. In Dubai, City Walk location and in Riyadh we have a store in Kingdom Mall. We’re also always on Instagram, that’s where the world of Okhtein lives most honestly.
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