Kitsch fashion is a worldwide phenomenon, with Western brands and celebrities taking it to runways and exclusive international events. But kitsch was essentially a product of Egyptian society, born into a restlessly polarized political climate, long before it made its way into Western high fashion. Yet here in Egypt, we have developed a strong prejudice against the bold, colorful woman archetype, labeling her as kitsch and therefore lower class. Perhaps this started in the 80s, with the rise of unadorned modest fashion representing feminine purity and spirituality, or maybe it started before then, when English colonizers hypersexualized the abaya for its white male audience.

In any case, we know this for sure: Women around the world and of all social classes, even in Egypt, have grown to love the kitsch fashion trend. This editorial project tries to answer the things we don’t yet know: How did kitsch evolve as a social phenomenon, where did this fashion statement and its link to routine classism begin, and why do we, as Egyptians, love to hate Egyptian kitsch fashion?