THE LEGACY
Premium quality leather bags Since 1905
First Designers & Manufacturers of Leather bags in Egypt.
Satisfied customers worldwide and growing
The Founder (1st Generation)
ALFRED SARA
In 1905, after achieving a great achievement in selling his original handmade pieces decided to launch his own line “GEORGES SARA” in the name of his first child GEORGES.
The Master (2nd Generation)
GEORGES SARA
Living in Alexandria, the cosmopolitan city on the Mediterranean, started to grow his passion in art, materials, paintings, sculptures and colors.
Following the footsteps of his father he was able to reach the royal family fashion expert Monsieur VASSEL and to be the official provider of leather goods for the queens and princesses of egypt.
The Manager (2nd Generation)
CALLIOPPE ZANGARAKIS
Married to Georges Sara in 1938 she joined forces with her husband and made the business grow more and more.
One of the oldest collaborations between monsieur G.sara and monsieur castellione an Italian owner and accessories designer and maker . Providing our products best Italian accessori quality.
the 30s and 40s were the golden age of GEORGES SARA legacy. samples of original designs by Georges Sara
The Innovator (3rd Generation)
MAHER EL SHAYEB
Married to Gisele Sara the youngest daughter of Georges Sara, who graduated from the seifwanly school of art in Alexandria, the artist, and multitalented Egyptian young man had joined the family legacy and injected the pure Egyptian blood in the legacy in 1974.
The Leader (3rd Generation)
GISELE SARA
The younger sister of Georges Sara has chosen to join her parents in the business since the 70s, with her great talent of management and a clear vision of the future of this legacy she was able to take the lead of the factory and guide it to success.
The Engineers (4th Generation)
Karim & Sara
Since 2005 the two engineers joined the house and started implementing their ideas and mods to the reach history adding modern touche.
Our Story
1900 – Alfred Sara’s passion for leather and handcrafts started to unravel designing wallets in 1900. Born in Alexandria to a mixed Syrian Greek Origin, he was one of the first foreigners to invest in Egypt. In his house in Smouha, the designs came to life and were offered as little gifts for family and friends. This would be the beginning of a lifetime legacy and a proud heritage!
1905 – Five years later, Alfred opened La Maison George Sara, named after his son; located in the heart of Alexandria near the luxurious “El Hambra” Opera House. The factory was the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa. The strategic location of the workshop only contributed to the widespread of elegant designs throughout the elite families of Egypt.
1923- Following his father’s footsteps, Georges Sara earned a diploma in leather goods in Grenoble, France – 1923. The creative designs made it all the way to the royal family through the Queen’s dressmaker Monsieur Vassel who started providing these fine leather products until La Maison George Sara became the official provider of leather products for the royal court of Egypt. The leather goods were then exhibited in the famous Galeries Lafayette and other local stores like Cicurel and Hannaux.
1930 – In 1930, being close to family members Badr & Ibrahim Lama, the early founders of Cinemas in Egypt, Georges Sara was becoming well known among trendy movie stars.
1952 – It was then in 1952 that the business survived a real challenge, this was the year that marked the end of many private businesses owned by foreigners in Egypt due to the revolution. However, La Maison Georges Sara managed to cope with these changes and survived the challenging period with strong growth potential.
1973 – By the year 1973, George Sara’s Son in Law, Maher El Shayeb, known for his patriotism and devotion to his country, joined the business along with his wife Gisele Georges Sara. Using an economic way of thinking, he wanted to conceive a way to minimize the waste of genuine leather. Therefore, he started using Patch Work in accordance with the fashion of the period. Today the latest generation of El Shayeb are joining the business.
Sara, the young and talented architect/designer merges modernity with elegance and sophistication into her collections. Karim is the engineer turned manager, following in the footsteps of his family while maintaining a legacy which – 100 years later – continues to inspire the fashion and poise of our time. This younger generation together still continues their contribution to Egyptian fashion!
Our Skills
The Knowhow
We are proud of our majestic Egyptian industry, and generations have passed since more than 100 years to inherit the workmanship,
which is a source of our pride and strength.
OWNERS
(4TH GENERATION)
Key People
We are a family-owned business that has been in the leather goods business for over 100 years. We have generations of experience that have created a unique perspective on what makes great products.
Karim Elshayeb
Manager / Owner
Sara Elshayeb
Creative Director / Owner