Anchored in African and West Asian design, Jihan is both a ‘shop and a conversation’

‘Almost everyone said some version of “it’s about time”,’ shares Youssef El Sayed, relaying the chorus of gratitude and recognition that new retail project Jihan received in its early stages. Dreamt up by El Sayed alongside photographer Mariam El Gendy, Jihan is unique in positioning itself as both shop and conversation: ‘a city-to-city narrative’ that considers the emerging relationships between commerce and culture, rooted in the language of African and West Asian design. ‘There’s this sense that you can spend years building careers through international brands and institutions, but still crave a space that feels closer to home. Not necessarily geographically, but culturally and morally,’ El Sayed continues.

While El Sayed and El Gendy began collaborating in a formal capacity at university in London, the duo unofficially started sharing ideas as pre-teens in Cairo, says El Sayed. Today they operate between London and Paris, where they’ve just launched the first Jihan pop-up store in Le Marais in the 3rd arrondissement (through 2 July 2026; an e-commerce site will follow later in the summer, and a London event is planned for autumn).

Named after El Gendy’s mother, her biggest cheerleader and first best friend – ‘Mariam’s mother is also a force of fashion and a legendary shopper,’ notes El Sayed – the Jihan moniker is additionally significant in that it channels the full scope of the project, translating as ‘the universe’ in Persian and Turkish. ‘In many ways that's what we're trying to build, a world where different people, stories, and objects can exist together,’ offers El Gendy.

Paris concept store Jihan is both a ‘shop and a conversation’

‘There has always been a very specific feeling when encountering work coming out of the region – a photograph, piece of music, or object – a sense of familiarity I can't quite explain,’ she adds, recalling the project’s initial emotional genesis. The decision to launch in Paris was largely centred around the pair’s established sense of community, while El Gendy’s personal relationship with the city was also informative: growing up, her father lived between Cairo and Paris. ‘It was my first encounter with art and fashion, and looking back it influenced me more than I realised.’

‘Jihan asks people to slow down, and the pace [in Paris] resonated with me,’ El Sayed adds. ‘There are layers to what we’re doing, and Paris feels like a city that still has patience for nuance.’

For the store opening, the pair collaborated with more friends, bringing in photographer Dexter Navy for a series of campaign images and working with designer and maker Adam Gobran on the shop’s metal displays. Presenting fashion, beauty, jewellery, accessories, and home and pantry goods, the initial line-up includes Super Yaya by Rym Beydoun, Paria Farzaneh, and Cynthia Merhej’s Renaissance Renaissance, as well as Diane V, Misaj, and Kaia Olive Oil. ‘Photography taught me the importance of context and storytelling, and that things we buy are connected to people, places, histories, and communities,’ says El Gendy. ‘From the beginning, I was interested in a store becoming a platform, nurturing people, stories, and creative practices.’ With Worldy Matters then, the project’s culture programme, the space will host a film screening with Shasha Movies, an interactive reading room with Hikma, and a listening session with Cheb Mimo.

‘At its core Jihan is a framework for gathering people. As a creative strategist, I’ve spent years helping brands understand who they are, but what interests me more is who they exist for. Who are their people? What are they contributing?’ reflects El Sayed. ‘A lot of the places we come from are often represented through nostalgia or exotification – we wanted something contemporary and nuanced. Yes, it can be kitsch, it can be chic. But it can also be intellectually rigorous, experimental and deeply current.’

For El Gendy, connection has been paramount to the experience so far. ‘Reaching out to the very people whose work has inspired and shaped our own, and being met with warmth and excitement, has been really special,’ she shares. ‘[Jihan] existed only in our heads for years, so it’s incredibly emotional, and there are so many ideas we'd love to explore. A couple of days ago, Sayed and I were talking about how most of the projects we've worked on have had an ending, whereas this is only the beginning.’

Jihan is at 6 Rue Charles-François Dupuis in Le Marais, Paris, until 2 July 2026. An e-commerce store is slated to follow.