DUBAI: Egypt Fashion Week made its debut in Cairo with a lineup of runway shows, panel discussions and workshops. The fashion week, which has been in the making for about four years, is titled “Past, Present & Future” and celebrates Egypt’s rich heritage and civilization. It will wrap up on May 15. More than 70 designers showed off their latest lines and industry insiders engaged in a number of panel discussions, including Saudi Fashion Commission CEO Burak Cakmak who gave a talk titled “The Vital Role Of Councils And Support Systems” on May 13. The event will close with a Shop the Runway event at Mall of Arabia on Monday, as well as final panel talk titled “Stylists in Conversation,” featuring Julie Matos, EFW head stylist, Maissa and Sahar Azab, Mai Galal and Farah Baky. Highlights from the week included workshops at the Design Studio by Azza Fahmy Hub, including a Silver Wire Wrapping Jewelry class. “The EFW program goes far beyond fashion shows and exhibitions and aims to connect the local, African and Middle Eastern markets through design, craftsmanship, education, sustainability, production and retail,” Egyptian Fashion & Design Council Susan Sabet said in a previously released statement. The event kicked off with an opening night on May 12 at the Egyptian Museum, featuring the “Best of Egyptian Designers” fashion show curated by US stylist Julie Matos, followed by a gala dinner. The following two days were held at the Museum of Agriculture, which opened its doors for the first time after five years of renovation for EFW. The museum traces the history of agriculture and cotton in Egypt from prehistory to modernity, acknowledging agriculture as the basis on which Ancient Egyptians built a civilization.