The runway is often a static thing, a straight line, a bright light, and a momentary flash. But on a crisp Thursday in Cairo, the sister-duo behind Okhtein, Mounaz and Aya Abdelraouf, decided to break the mould.
To celebrate their new equestrian-inspired line, The Fifth Wind, the brand hosted Egypt’s first-ever dressage experience. For the uninitiated, dressage is described as “horse ballet.” It is an art form defined by an almost telepathic connection between horse and rider, requiring as much brain as brawn.
In The Fifth Wind, the Abdelraouf sisters have moved away from purely ornamental design, leaning instead into a more visceral language. You see it in the crinkled, high-gloss leathers that mimic the sheen of a well-groomed coat, and the fluid, gathered metallics of the clutch, a piece that catches the light like a trophy under the Cairo sun.
The design details are functional nods to the arena. Intricate braiding mirrors the weave of a horse’s mane, and the heavy-duty brass hardware (a calling card of Okhtein) is recalibrated here to evoke the tension and strength of stirrups and bits.
By staging the launch within a dressage arena, the Egyptian label forced the audience to view fashion through the lens of performance while embracing the cultural importance of the horse, “The Arabian horse represents endurance, intuition, and quiet strength,” said Aya.
It wasn’t about a model’s gait, but about the shared rhythm between the rider and the Arabian horse, a creature that remains the ultimate regional symbol of unyielding poise. “These qualities deeply resonate with how we design and how we see the contemporary Arab woman,” Mounaz added.
The presentation played out in two distinct acts, set to a score that pulled from both traditional strings and modern electronic pulses. There was a visible tension in the air as female riders led their Arabian steeds through the choreography; it wasn’t the fast-paced spectacle people usually expect from the region, but a slow, deliberate display of control that mirrored the structured silhouettes of the new collection.
You weren’t just looking at a bag or a jacket; you were witnessing the “sensory trust” that inspired the entire collection.
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