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image of Digging through history: How four Egyptian fashion brands use motif to bridge the ancient and the modern

Abstract

Spotlighting the Egyptian context, this article uses a mixed-methods, comparative case study approach to explore one of our global ancient cultures and examine how four modern-day Egyptian designers and brands are bridging the ancient and the modern by incorporating ancient Pharaonic motifs within their product design, visual merchandising and branding. Through document and artefact analysis, interviews with the selected brands and a consumer survey, this study examines how these brands’ incorporation of ancient motifs may impact consumers’ levels of brand engagement and perceptions of product beauty, while simultaneously connecting modern-day travellers and modern-day Egyptians to Egypt’s ancient past. The commodification of cultural motifs is explored from a consumer’s perspective, and best practices are identified for other brands interested in using cultural branding techniques within their own brand strategies.

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/content/journals/10.1386/fspc_00330_1
2025-04-30
2026-04-15

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