Amir Fayo
Founder, 69 Group
The brand architect and art director has developed standout retail concepts, creative strategies and interiors, including the groundbreaking Maison69 in Cairo, Egypt.
Amir Fayo is a brand architect, art director and creative strategist based in New York, specialising in creating immersive customer experiences in fashion, hospitality and other sectors.
Born in the United Kingdom, Fayo studied architecture in the UK. This foundation in design and space planning would later inform his unique approach to branding. Fayo recognised the potential of merging these disciplines to offer strategic services that empower entrepreneurs. Fayo believes that brand owners, retailers and leisure operators should radically rethink how they connect with consumers, to put the customer in the driver’s seat.
Among Fayo’s best-known projects are the Egyptian stores Maison69 and Villa Baboushka, as well as the home decor store One True Find. Each breaks with retail conventions in key ways: For instance, Maison69, in Cairo, is laid out like a house, giving each shopper a unique journey through the store. One room in Villa Baboushka was set up like a girl’s playroom, complete with swings and life-size mannequins hanging from the ceiling like discarded dolls. The lobby of the Thai hotel, “The Library,” located on Koh Samui, is an actual library, and its spaces are designed with readers in mind.
Fayo’s approach is to ground design within its cultural context. For Fayo, branding isn't just about aesthetics; it's about crafting a genuine story that resonates with consumers on an emotional level.
His philosophy can be summed up in his opening line to clients: “We are not interior designers, we don’t do logos, we are not architects and we don’t create sad things,” Fayo told SceneHome.
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The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
ExploreWhat is The BoF 500?
The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
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