Holy Whale! This Egyptian Brand Makes Eco-Friendly Tote Bags, Sketchbooks & More

'Holy Whale' is the kind of cutesy phrase you get when you stub your toe and don't want to curse in front of your niece. It's also the kind of name you'd come up with in a dream, which just happened to be the case for co-founder Omar Yasser, when he tried to find the perfect label for his new eco-friendly lifestyle brand back in 2019. With a wide array of tote bags, stickers and sketchbooks, featuring quirky, off-the-cuff designs - like sea turtles, quarantine catchphrases and badass Japanese warriors - Holy Whale strives to raise awareness on eco-friendliness and the importance of supporting local workers.

Holy Whale uses recycled materials for their packaging and their sketchbooks. ‘Holy Whale’ designs and prints in-house, but outsources certain processes –sewing tote bags, for example – in a way that supports small local tailors.

“What makes us truly different – apart from actively raising awareness about the environment - is that we prioritize supporting local workers as much as we can, and simultaneously ensuring that – for the most part – our products are ethically-sourced, Yasser tells #CairoScene. “We design everything ourselves and all our products are handmade.”

They offer customers the opportunity to conceptualize a design with the brand or have them straight-up print your own design. Holy Whale’s products are available through their Instagram page @holywhale.eg.