High school project develops into successful brand

J’s Designs, an Egyptian jewelry brand, was successfully developed by an AUC film student, Jude Benhalim.

J’s Designs was founded in 2010 by Benhalim and sells accessories varying from rings, bracelets, and necklaces to handbags and kaftans with prices ranging from EGP 200 to 1200.

Benhalim began developing J’s Designs while she was a high school student.

It began for her as a school project, which piqued her interest in the prospect of creating her own brand of accessories.

“I didn’t think much of it at first,” said Benhalim, “but then, as I continued working on the school project, it became more and more exciting to me. I realized that it had pushed me to express a creative and artistic side of myself on a grander scale,” she added.

Although Benhalim is still an undergraduate, she intends to continue developing her brand and she hopes to see J’s Designs reach new levels of success in the future.

“Right now, I’m working on opening an independent shop to display and sell J’s Designs pieces,” Benhalim said when asked about her aspirations for her business.

“Taking that step will be a true indicator of my brand’s success, so I’m hoping I’ll reach that point promptly,” she added.

Currently, Benhalim sells her products through online shopping websites, her Facebook page and occasional exhibitions in Paris and Jordan.

In the meantime, Benhalim is currently working on her next collection, which she says is inspired largely by the Nubian culture. She is planning on releasing her new collection in October of this year.

“My designs provide customers with an amalgamation of the traditional Egyptian style with a twist of modernity,” Benhalim said about her brainchild.

J’s Designs caters to a particular sector of society that craves accessories that incorporate the traditional Egyptian/oriental style while also making use of modern materials and fashions. While she gets some foreign orders, the vast majority of her customers are Egyptian.

In addition to the products that boast a fusion of traditional and modern styles, J’s Designs also offers modern-style jewelry.

All designs sold by Jude are made in a workshop in Khan El Khalili, an area known for selling antiques and traditional Egyptian products.

Furthermore, J’s launched her first genuine leather bags collection as part of the Spring/Summer 2013 collection. The leather bags collection offers different bag styles, including totes, clutches, and messenger bags.

She believes that this mixture of old and new styles is what sets her apart from other designers who also produce jewelry and other accessories.

Benhalim also takes advantage of bazaars and open days to display her work; she displayed J’s Designs pieces at the Bazarna shopping bazaar earlier this year, and at the Eclat de Mode/Bijorhca trade show in Paris, France, in July of last year.

Since its inception, a variety of media outlets have featured J’s Designs, both in print and electronics channels.

Such outlets include the Arabic magazine “El Beit,” in addition to English publications such as Enigma, Prime Magazine, and CairoWest.

Egyptian actress Mona Zaki recently wore a necklace from J’s Designs in her Ramadan series, “Asia,” which garnered media attention for J’s.