Meet the founders…
Hend Riad & Mariam Hazem
Our Story
The story and brand may have originated with our two founders, but who we really are is down to the people who helped turn our vision into reality, and who continue to do so every day with the work they put into producing each and everyone of our unique pieces. So allow us to introduce our founders, along with our real-life heroes.
Mariam Hazem & Hend Riad their story started in 2011. The revolution had just happened, and they had an idea that was born during their college years that had them really excited to be a part of the great changes that were happening at the time.
They were eager to make a difference, which is why they felt a great sense of responsibility towards serving their society and their environment. It was this sense of responsibility that gave them the motivation they needed in order to take their first steps towards solving some of the problems we see around us, primarily Egypt’s waste problem, and that was how Reform Studio was born.
Reform is an umbrella of many ‘Re’s, quoted “we see design as a re-creation of an existing idea, a redevelopment of objects, a reusing of materials, a reviving of cultures, and a reforming of our world” said Mariam and Hend.
Reform Studio is an award winning design studio that pioneered the invention of a new material: Plastex, which is a new eco-friendly material made by weaving discarded plastic bags. All Reform products and designs originate from this concept, with an aim to create only responsible and thoughtful products.
Our Mission
Plastic bags are the second most used and discarded product in Egypt. While this may seem like a negative situation, Reform decided that it was time we turned it into something positive that can impact our community.
Through plastex, Reform’s mission is to raise environmental awareness, supporting the shift to sustainability in our world today by transforming discarded plastic bags into a new raw material, prolonging the life cycle of a plastic bag from its average use of 12 minutes into years.
Meanwhile, Reform’s main vision lies in promoting the use of sustainable materials for everyday items like Fashion, Furniture, and Home Accessories, one of our goals is also to revive the weaving industry in Egypt. This is a craft that has been around as part of our culture for decades, but had been replaced by machines, and thus has become nearly obsolete, and it was initially very challenging for us to be able to find weaving workshops that are still surviving.
That was when Reform’s vision shifted to include bringing back this age-long craft that is still adopted by many Egyptian families in rural areas, thereby increasing income to these families who were no longer able to make a living out of it, and allowing this industry to thrive again to create better opportunities to those who’ve had this craft passed down to them across generations. Through Plastex, Reform is juxtaposing an old technique with a new concept, and creating new products with higher values, while leaving an eco-friendly footprint on our environment.
