Monday December 23rd, 2024
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Kotn's Fall/Winter 2024 Collection Brings El Nady to NYC Fashion Week

Kotn's Fall/Winter 2024 collection celebrates Cairo’s sporting clubs with limited-edition jerseys. Rooted in Egyptian heritage, the line blends fashion with cultural nostalgia and social impact.

Costa Pappas

The Egyptian-Canadian brand, Kotn, has revealed its Fall/Winter 2024 collection, an ode to the sporting club culture of Cairo.

Founded in 2015, Kotn has garnered global attention for its sustainable clothing and home decor, crafted from high-quality Egyptian cotton. The brand’s dedication to social impact, actively funding schools in the Nile Delta to improve children's access to education, has established itself as a model in the ethical fashion sphere.

Now, Kotn’s upcoming limited-edition jersey line goes beyond a fashion statement—it’s a tribute to co-founder Rami Helali’s childhood experiences in Cairo, where Nady were central to community life. Sporting clubs served as the backdrop for Rami’s significant moments, from his first kiss to his first punch, reflecting a broader cultural significance as a pivotal coming-of-age space for many in Cairo.

“We wanted to replicate that feeling of that young, youthful, and carefree existence of a Nady through the collection, campaign, and the events that we've been hosting,” Helali tells SceneStyled.

Helali explained that growing up between the East and the West allowed him to appreciate the beauty of both cultures. However, he observed that while the Middle East had a deeply ingrained sense of community, the West seemed to be chasing that same feeling. This leads back to the inspiration behind starting Kotn and the El Nady collection—to intentionally build a community where everyone was cared for, from those producing the cotton to those wearing the clothes. As he explains, the goal is “to create spaces, forge connections, and weave a societal web where people look after one another.”

In an exciting collaboration, Kotn’s latest campaign brings Egypt to New York Fashion Week, featuring celebrities like Kareem Rahma, Zainab Johnson, and May Calamawy. To celebrate the launch of the collection, Kotn recently hosted the Kotn Cup in partnership with NYC Footy. The event seamlessly blended fashion and culture, offering bites from Zooba and Halal Guys and music by Jenno, recreating Cairo’s community spirit while capturing the electric energy of New York City.

According to Helali, these choices were intentional, designed to recreate the communal atmosphere of a Nady with the involvement of talented Arab Muslim figures. Helali, along with his co-founders Benjamin Sehl and Mackenzie Yeates, aimed to bridge East and West through the campaign while staying true to their roots in both Cairo and Toronto. A particularly nostalgic touch in the design process was the inclusion of a sponsor logo from an Egyptian soap company they all grew up using, which helped ground the collection in their shared childhood memories.

The collection features two standout jerseys—available in short and long sleeves—that celebrate Egyptian heritage through a reflective gaze. Inspired by how Helali and others would head to the Nadi after school still in uniform, the jerseys adopt a classic, collegiate style, further connecting memories to design.

These limited-edition jerseys are available for pre-sale and will be shipped out beginning of October.

Kotn SS Soccer Jersey In Racing Green:

The Kotn SS Soccer Jersey In Racing Green draws inspiration from Egyptian heritage, blending basil and juniper tones with a refined brown-lined white collar. A crescent-shaped badge with a camel emblem celebrates the "Kotn Sporting Club," while the number 8 in Arabic on the backside adds a unique touch. The front pays homage to vintage Egyptian household products with a clever Arabic inscription.

Kotn LS Soccer Jersey In Marshmallow/Plum:

Kotn LS Soccer Jersey In Marshmallow/Plum features a crisp white base accented by vertical brown stripes and a bold collar. Its crescent-shaped badge, Arabic script, and camel emblem nod to Egyptian culture, while a subtle nod to old household products in Arabic ties the look together.