124 Othman Ibn Affan Street, Heliopolis
Cairo
Cairo Governorate
11835
Egypt
- Environment/Sustainable development
Basma Tawakol Founder and CEO
Menna Remah Head of Marketing and Communications
Heba Osama Head of Operations
Hamsa Hany Content Creation Specialist
-Female worker
Responsible for sorting, cleaning, adding tags with prices and organizing collected clothes/.
Freelancer outsourced
Photographer
Sources of funding: Angel investors, Banks funding SMEs
Modalities of action:
Collaborations with top Egyptian designers to craft 100% upcycled garments.
Mn Qomash, a fully funded scholarship powered by Dayra dedicated to emerging designers to help them lead a greener fashion industry.
Partnerships with top Egyptian bazaars such as Cairo Vintage Souq and Cairo Flea Market.
Main partners involved in Mn Qomash project:
Egyptian clothing bank, Noqoush academy, Giza systems foundation, Al ahli united bank, Carrefour
At Dayra we believe we’re disruptors with a new business model that embodies what a social and sustainable enterprise should be. Our innovation strategy is proactive, through introducing a new business model and creating a new market niche for second-hand preowned affordable fashion and fashion upcycling.
Vision: Dayra is a revolutionary platform that closes the fashion loop by expanding our sustainability horizon beyond selling preowned /second-hand garments to establishing a sustainable design ecosystem by creating an interconnected network and economically empowering young artisans, designers, and entrepreneurs who are committed to upcycling and sustainable fashion practices.
We advance sustainability, ethics, and circularity in the entire fashion system. We work with those who make, sell, buy, wear, dispose, reuse, repair, and recycle clothes. Our role is to remove barriers to sustainability through education, awareness, research, and collaboration
mission: Driving the transition of making sustainable fashion the number one consumer choice in the MENA region
values:
Sustainability: our commitment to minimizing the environmental impact of the fashion industry by reducing waste, conserving resources, and promoting circularity.
Transparency: Providing clear information throughout the supply chain about the brand's materials, production processes, and social impact to build trust with consumers and encourage accountability.
Social Responsibility: Create job opportunities, improve the well-being of target beneficiaries in the local communities and support initiatives that empower and uplift marginalized groups.
Quality and Durability: Focusing on creating high-quality products that are built to last, promoting a shift away from fast fashion's disposable culture. By emphasizing durability and timeless design, we encourage consumers to invest in long-lasting pieces rather than constantly buying new items.
Collaboration and Partnerships: Recognizing the collective effort required to achieve sustainability goals, we collaborate with like-minded fashion designers, organizations, nonprofits, and initiatives. By working together, they can amplify their impact and drive positive change within the industry.
All our solutions point to keeping surplus and discarded materials in the fashion loop for longer, only in Egypt we have more than 23 million tonnes of discarded fabric waste annually.
With this in mind, Dayra strives to promote sustainable and eco-friendly fashion through the reuse of pre-owned clothing and turning clothes with defects into new products by upcycling through our fashion designers' partners.
Another problem is the rising prices of fashion in the market driven by fast-fashion retailers dominating the local market, buying high-quality clothes is not even an option for the majority of Egyptians after the Egyptian pound devaluation. Dayra is making high-quality fashion affordable and accessible to the Egyptian masses.
We advance sustainability, ethics, and circularity in the entire fashion system. We work with those who make, sell, buy, wear, dispose, reuse, repair, and recycle clothes. Our role is to remove barriers to sustainability through education, awareness, research, and collaboration.
Dayra’s ideology is ‘fashion items are no longer disposable, but part of the eternal cycle of inspiration’. We extend the lifecycle of products through upcycling.
Our offering is divided into four categories:
1) Deadstock/discarded fabric that’s turned into new designs
2) One-of-a-kind secondhand garments that customers won’t find anywhere else.
3) Authentic vintage clothing.
4) Upcycled pieces that are customized, reimagined and redesigned.
We are committed to mindful production, sustainability, and circular fashion reducing the amount of fashion waste going to landfill and making sustainable, upcycled fashion more accessible and affordable for the average customer.
Building on the success and impact created throughout the past 4 years, we are expanding our scope of work and influence in our local communities by introducing our project ‘’Mn Qomash’’ a collaborative project with the Egyptian clothing bank to empower women through utilizing clothes and fabric waste to reduce its negative environmental impact.
The project objective is to empower women economically to be able to overcome the economic challenges they face, especially during this fluctuating economic situation in Egypt.
The capacity-building intervention will equip the selected women with the needed skill sets that will enable them to pursue a tailoring and fashion design business. In addition, the utilization of clothes/textile waste to create unique and trendy wearable pieces made up of upcycled materials will promote the responsible consumption and production of materials and resources. This will greatly reduce the clothes/textile waste and promote an upcycling mindset among fashion designers which will ultimately impact the pressing issue of climate change.
We launched the first fully funded 9-month scholarship program for upcycling and sustainable fashion in strategic partnership with the Egyptian clothing bank, Noqoush Art Academy, and Giza Systems (software company) to train 50 emerging fashion designers of professional sewing and upcycling also fashion software tools, leveraging on Dayra's market exposure to sell their upcycled collection beside a lot of business-related courses throughout the program duration.
The program has many partners and sponsors for the public and the private sector one of which is Ahli United Bank and Carrefour Egypt, The Danish Egyptian Dialogue Initiative (DEDI), the Ministry of Culture in Egypt, and many others. The other rounds of Mn Qomash are to happen on a concurrent basis with other frequent customized programs that happen throughout the year.
As a social enterprise specializing the sustainable fashion, we contribute by sharing our expertise and knowledge in promoting sustainable practices within the fashion industry. We can actively participate in workshops, seminars, or panel discussions organized by the Anna Lindh Foundation to educate and raise awareness about sustainable fashion among network members, industry professionals, and the general public.
We can foster collaborations and partnerships with other members of the Anna Lindh Foundation's network in Egypt. By working together, we can initiate joint projects, organize events, or develop initiatives that promote sustainability, cultural diversity, and social cohesion through the lens of fashion. These partnerships can help amplify the impact of our sustainability efforts and create a stronger network of like-minded individuals and organizations.
Dayra can offer mentorship and support to emerging designers or entrepreneurs in the field of sustainable fashion. This is our main motivation behind launching Mn Qomash. By nurturing talent and fostering the growth of sustainable fashion initiatives, you can contribute to building a more sustainable and inclusive fashion industry in your country.
Utilize Dayra's platform to advocate for sustainable fashion and raise awareness about the importance of ethical and environmentally friendly practices. We can leverage our marketing channels, social media presence, and events to promote sustainable fashion, encourage conscious consumerism, and advocate for positive change within the industry. By amplifying the message of the Anna Lindh Foundation and incorporating it into our brand's values, we can reach a wider audience and inspire others to join the movement.
I have been working hard for the past years to build a venture that can create a real impact and grow with success. I always seek new learning opportunities and challenges that help me grow as a person and this will be reflected in any position I am assigned to. I believe that this is the perfect time to seek international exposure that will definitely contribute to my personal and professional growth, and also add to my previous experience.
It is crucial to gain a wide understanding of the different challenges facing our world and unite with other social change-makers to work towards common goals and make the change we always dreamt of. This kind of experience will help me create a new perspective and gain new insights after seeing the bigger picture to come up with more innovative solutions that can make a greater impact on the global and local levels. For Dayra, I want to understand more about how the Western world is up to sustainability and circular economy. It's about time to change the whole world's narrative to speak and apply sustainable and conscious living
By becoming a member of the Anna Lindh Foundation Network, Dayra can contribute to advocacy efforts and have a voice in promoting cultural understanding, social cohesion, and sustainable development. By actively participating in the network's activities, members can influence policies, shape narratives, and advocate for positive change at local, regional, and international levels.
Furthermore, we are super excited to explore this network that may provide access to resources, funding opportunities, and grants that can support us and our initiatives.
Through the Anna Lindh Foundation Network we can reach a wider audience, increase visibility, and create a bigger impact by fostering cultural exchange, respecting diversity, and building bridges between different cultures may want to join the network to actively contribute to these goals.