Her family is Egypt’s fashion legends of BTM and Marie Louis, and 22-year-old Anne Marie Kiro seeks to further her family’s legacy by appealing to the younger generation in Egypt and internationally. Anne Marie is all about blending her cultural identity and heritage with modern fashion to present contemporary and innovative collections. Graduating from the prestigious University of Arts in London where she studied fashion, design, and marketing, Anne Marie will contribute greatly to the family business and bring her own unique knowledge. She is a student of her role model and mentor Marie Louis, whom she describes as a “woman of many roles: a mother to many, a business woman, a designer, and an entrepreneur”.

HE Questions Anne Marie Kirollos:

Your name, age, and educational background:

My name is Anne Marie Kirollos. I am 22-years-old. I am a graduate of the University of Arts in London - Central Saint Martins where I majored in fashion, design, and marketing.

When and how did you come up with your design’s business concept? What was your inspiration, and who was your role model? How did your education and family help?

I was brought up within the fashion and textile industry in Egypt. My grandfather is a chemist who built a vertically integrated company in Egypt now run by his three daughters. It covers all aspects of fashion from weaving fabrics to the final production of garments. Aside from our own labels, BTM and Marie Louis, we export to companies such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, United Colors of Benetton, and many more. We also design and produce uniforms for prestigious hotels, airlines, and more. This on its own was simply my main course of education. 

Being the daughter of my role model, Marie Louis, was another form of education. She is a woman of many roles: a mother to many, a business woman, a designer, and an entrepreneur. Following in her footsteps is in my blood. 

All in all, studying at Central Saint Martins, also known as the “Harvard of Fashion”, was a great influence on the decisions I am going to take pertaining my career. I was put next to the best of the best in my industry, and I felt like Egypt has a great potential to penetrate the fashion industry internationally. 

My aim is to re-launch Marie Bishara within Egypt and grow BTM and Marie Louis among the younger generation. This is a brand that was launched in Paris under the Bishara Group in 2009. This brand already has the foundations of dominating locally and competing internationally. I am the third generation this company has produced, and I am hoping to make a change. 

What fueled the growth of your business on the ground to become what it is today? Who funded it, and who helped you bring it to fruition? Who is your team?

BTM and Marie Louis were once the greatest in Egypt. I want to recreate this legacy within my generation. 

With the backing of our factories, my mom, and a team of very eager and ambitious people here in Egypt, I am excited to make this happen and become a groundbreaking designer in Egypt! I am hoping to create a whole new scene and enlighten the fashion scene for Egyptian youth.

What are your marketing strategies and challenges?

There are a lot of challenges and competition that BTM and Marie Louis didn’t experience back in the early 1990s and 2000s. First and foremost, there are many imported brands today; however, we have our own shops in significant locations. We are working on rebranding the stores and refining the taste to meet a wider audience including the younger generation.

What are your hopes and dreams for your business and and for yourself in the short and long term?

Apart from reviving the legacy that my family has built, I hope to build on it by growing our brand internationally. You will find out about it soon!