MESH—MESH Founders on Innovation, Imagination, and the Future of Fashion
- Nada Armanious
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Blending digital innovation with cultural storytelling, MESH—MESH is a design studio redefining what a handbag — and perhaps even a brand — can be. Founded by Shaima and Fatma El Alawy, the brand fuses 3D printing technology with deep creative curiosity, crafting sculptural pieces that feel both futuristic and rooted in rich narratives at the same time. In just under a year, they’ve carved a unique space for themselves, offering a fresh perspective on craftsmanship, design, and community building.
In this conversation, the founders share the layered meaning behind their name, the inspirations that spark their collections, and their vision for a slower, more intentional approach to innovation in a fast-paced world.
Photo provided by MESH—MESH
The company’s name MESH—MESH is quite layered. What is the inspiration behind the name and what does it personally mean to each of you?
Shaima: The name is a play on words, blending “MESH” — the building block of our 3D CAD designs — with the Arabic saying “fel mesh mesh,” used to describe a beautiful yet elusive daydream. It captures both the digital and whimsical aspects of our creations. On a personal level, it serves as a constant reminder to just have fun and enjoy the process.
Fatma: To me, the name just encourages me to dream big and shoot for the stars.
You describe your process as beginning with a feeling or curiosity—can you share a specific moment or object that unexpectedly sparked a collection?
Shaima: Yes, with Alhambra, for example, although the bag references multiple aspects of the palace’s design, it was experiencing the Hall of the Abencerrajes that truly sparked its creation. I was captivated by the controlled geometric order of the muqarnas arrangement on such a grand scale and wanted to replicate its beauty.
Photo provided by MESH—MESH
You combine ancient cultural references with futuristic technology. How do you manage to balance between nostalgia and innovation in your work?
Shaima: We experiment a lot, explore multiple variations of a concept, and go through many prototypes. Knowing that it takes time and patience to find balance helps. We accept that we might need to restart the process a few times before finally finding the right approach — or that sometimes, stepping away, doing something completely unrelated, and then coming back to the design with fresh eyes is exactly what’s needed for a breakthrough.
Your bags resemble sculptural art pieces. What do the Sarāband Alhambra collections represent to you, and what inspired each of them?
Shaima: With the Alhambra bag, the inspiration came from its namesake palace in Granada, Spain, and it will always represent travel and the experience of discovering new places.
With Sarāb, it’s a bit more abstract.
While the external form is heavily influenced by sand dunes and deserts, the main design drive was to explore how changing a single aspect of traditional bag design could yield interesting results. We focused on separating the interior and exterior forms, especially since the bag’s transparency offered unique design opportunities.
We gave the interior a traditional rectangular bag shape, contrasting it with the futuristic, fluid, dynamic exterior. The interior appears to hover within the heart of the bag like a mirage, symbolizing the contrast between what bags used to be and what we imagine they can become.
The tension between the two forms, combined with the optical illusions created by the barely 1mm-thick internal pattern, adds to the striking effect.
Photo provided by MESH—MESH
Can you share what 3D printing unlocks creatively that traditional craftsmanship couldn’t?
Shaima: Maybe not traditional craftsmanship, but definitely traditional manufacturing.
Right now, our designs focus on creating new-age aesthetics and eliminating the need for assembly. But we’ve only just skimmed the surface of what we want to do with 3D printing — the possibilities are endless. We’re excited to explore opportunities like design customization per customer, going even more micro with our details, and creating even more complex, intricate patterns and lattice structures.
There’s also multi-material and multi-color 3D printing, which we would love to experiment with in the future.
Fatma: From a business perspective, 3D printing allows us to produce in small quantities, which is a big advantage while we’re still in such an early stage.
The concept of “slowness” is beautifully mentioned in your process. How do you hold onto that philosophy in a fast-paced, trend-driven industry?
Fatma: It’s definitely challenging from a marketing perspective!
The way we see it, brands today need to be full-on entertainment powerhouses, competing not just with others in their category, but with every piece of content on their customers’ feeds.
At the same time, building a brand around a novel product like a 3D-printed handbag requires a slow and consistent approach, focused on cultivating a core community that shares our love for storytelling through design and innovation. Otherwise, the product risks becoming just another passing fad.
Photo provided by MESH—MESH
How do you envision the evolution of MESH–MESH? Would you consider expanding into other categories?
Fatma: Definitely! We chose to start with bags because there weren’t many brands exploring the use of 3D printing in this category. We saw an opportunity that could give us a competitive edge and a strong starting point. But we definitely plan to expand into footwear, eyewear, and even jewelry and homeware.
Photo provided by MESH—MESH
Lastly, what’s your own personal “Fe al-meshmesh” dream for the brand—one that feels elusive but exciting to chase?
Fatma: I have a lot of those! We’re barely a year old, and with the support and encouragement we’ve received so far, not even the sky is the limit.
– Growing Mesh–Mesh into an international brand, known for starting something innovative in the region and becoming the go-to destination for bags that truly make you stand out.
– Having our bags displayed all around the world.
– Collaborating with brands we love, like Gentle Monster or Coperni.
Shaima: Mine is a bit closer to home — I dream that one day we’ll have our own production unit, where not only can we produce our products in Egypt, but also support other designers with cool ideas who want to explore 3D printing and digital manufacturing.