The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

There seems
to be a standard method of being when it comes to children’s shops in Cairo;
super bright lights, pink on 90% of products, Spongebob Square Pants printed
on anything and everything, the hilariously mind-boggling size of baby clothes
and their nonsensical prices. Located on the first floor of Downtown Katemeya
Mall, kid’s shop, Kokkino, tries to buck the trend and is actually quite tempting
to casual browsers.

The shop
itself isn’t the biggest in the mall, but uses its area well. The slightly rectangular
space is anchored by rows of clothes-adorned stands, each of which are
organised and labelled by age, starting as young as three months. The shop’s signage is playful, but the interior is uncluttered and simple.

For the
boys, Kokkino stocks simple, smart collections of sweatshirts (150LE), jackets
(180LE), jeans (80LE) and corduroy trousers (180).

But where
Kokkino really excels is the girls’ collection, particularly when it comes to
dresses, of which there are endless types of. As mentioned earlier, not
everything here is in shades of girly pink. Kokkino’s own brand in particular
offers what can best be described as miniature versions of what you’d expect to
find in any moderately-priced women’s wear shop in Cairo. The collection
embraces more neutral colours such as beige and even grey. It’s ideal for
formal occasions or just dressing up your kid to look like an adult – which is
adorable.

To the left
of the entrance, as you walk in, Kokkino displays everything you could ever
imagine, and some that you probably never knew existed, for newborn babies. We
were blown away by the huge amount of different pacifiers and accompanying
chains, and even more blown away by their prices. The pacifiers themselves
range between 60LE and 100LE, while their chains are sold separately for
between 20LE-50LE. Teethers are also on offer, as well as a range of baby
shampoos and creams – to keep your child looking spiffy 24/7. This small
section of the shop is nothing short of captivating, whether you have newborns
or not – it’s just too cute.

After no
more than one or two visits to Kokkino, you’ll be hooked. One thing is for sure,
is that Kokkino’s collections are much more interesting to the eye when
compared to the norm and you’ll find items that you will probably struggle to
find in other local shops of the same inclination. On top of this, the shopping
experience is considerably more pleasant than at most Cairo shops; the staff
give you your space, but are still on hand to help you out if needed.