Like so many things in this country, fashion in Egypt is an intangible, indescribable beast that knows no shame, no rules and no convention – for better and for worse. Cairo loves fads and the problem is that, in recent history at least, said fads often arrive stale and used – fashion doesn’t wait for anyone.

But the last few years has seen a renewed interest – not necessarily in what’s happening in Milan and New York – but what’s happening right here in the hands of local designers. Fashion blogs, boutiques, brands and even design schools born of this unpredictable land have uncovered, and given a platform for, local creativity and sparked an interest in original, Egypt-specific fashion, so to speak, and what the trends mean in the context of the local sense of fashion and design.

But one endeavour has done more than most, slowly but surely giving fashion – from here and beyond – a stage: the Cairo Fashion Festival.

Now in its third annual edition, CFF is bigger than ever. Taking place this weekend, on Friday November 7th, at Cairo Festival City, there’s a packed day of things to ooh and ah at.

Proceedings kick off bright and early(-ish) at 11AM with the opening ceremony, which also marks the opening of a huge shopping bazaar that continues on till 10PM.

No self-respecting fashion festival would be complete without a runway show or two and CFF has them by the bucket load. The first kicks off at 3PM, before which an orchestra will initiate the proceedings with an invite-only show.

The first runway shows will showcase the fall/winter 2014 lines of some familiar casual wear names, like Levis, Timberland and quicksilver, before an interlude sees Cairo Jazz Club regulars, Screwdriver, take to the stage for a special performance.

Then we get into the really good stuff; Deana Shaaban’s line for Zamalek’s ABnG World gets a go on the runway, before the haute couture stylings of regional designers, including Egypt’s own Norine Farah and Alia El Nahhas.

Check out the full schedule below.

 For all you social media addicts, look out for #CFF3 and @CairoFashionFes on Twitter and follow these fashion aficionados:

@nsabry (Fashion addict and Azza Fahmy brand ambassador)
@azzafahmy (You must know who that is)
@lovebyn (Fashion blogger)
@Fustany (Fashion portal dedicated to Arab women)
@Nayrouz_Abouzid (Founder of CFF and all-round lovely lady)
@AminaK_net (Local fashion trailblazer)