From the Egyptian Revolution to a family home in Murrumba Downs, Liz Kamel’s extraordinary journey has inspired a jewellery and fashion business she hopes will become a lasting legacy for her 12-year-old daughter.
In a Murrumba Downs home, a mother and her 12-year-old daughter are creating jewellery inspired by the pharaohs and queens of ancient Egypt, silk scarves depicting scenes from Cairo, and fashion accessories that combine Egyptian history with contemporary design.
But behind the beautiful creations of Lindy Kamel Designs lies a remarkable family story involving revolution, romance, serious illness and a mother’s determination to provide for her daughter’s future.
Liz Kamel has spent almost a decade undergoing cancer treatment. She says she has already outlived two terminal diagnoses.
Now, with her daughter Lindy approaching her teenage years, she is pouring her energy and resources into building a business that she hopes will endure long into the future.
“I’ve invested all my money I can in my daughter’s business,” Liz says. “I don’t want to receive any free handouts. I just want her business to be successful.”
From the Egyptian Revolution to Murrumba Downs
The inspiration behind Lindy’s designs begins thousands of kilometres away, in Egypt, where her parents met during one of the most turbulent periods in the country’s modern history. Both were journalists covering events surrounding the Arab Spring.
Liz had travelled to the Middle East as political upheaval swept through the region, eventually working with the Libyan opposition. Her future husband, an Egyptian journalist and photographer, was documenting the Egyptian Revolution.
They met at the Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival, where he received an award for his coverage of the revolution. His photographs were being used on promotional posters at the festival.
Despite spending five days at the same event, it wasn’t until the final day that he found the courage to introduce himself.
“The rest was history,” Liz recalls.
Their relationship developed against the extraordinary backdrop of the Arab Spring. They attended demonstrations together, spent time in downtown Cairo and enjoyed evenings along the Nile.
One particularly memorable occasion was their first date aboard a traditional Egyptian sailing boat, known as a felucca, at sunset. Years later, those memories would become the inspiration for their daughter’s designs.
After spending several years in the Middle East, the couple decided to move to Australia to start a family. Liz’s husband initially worked as a radio producer with SBS Arabic before retraining in cybersecurity. He now works for the Australian Government.
Liz pursued a career in conflict resolution and mediation, drawing on her experiences in the Middle East. But another challenge was developing in her personal life.
A Creative Connection Between Mother and Daughter
Liz was just 31 when she began the cancer journey that has now lasted almost a decade.
Her daughter Lindy, who has level two autism, has grown up knowing that her mother undergoes regular medical treatment. Liz says the family tries to protect her from the full implications of the illness while making their time together as meaningful as possible.
Lindy has a strong creative streak and enjoys musical theatre and drama. Several years ago, mother and daughter began spending time together making beaded jewellery. What started as a simple craft activity became an important way for them to connect.
“Beading was something that her and I could do that we could spend time together and do something crafty and be really, really present with each other,” Liz explains.
The activity gradually developed into drawing, designing and exploring Lindy’s Egyptian heritage. Because Liz’s health prevents the family from travelling to Egypt, the designs have also become a way for Lindy to discover a country that forms such an important part of her identity.
Within the past six months, their creative activities have developed into Lindy Kamel Designs. The business now produces jewellery, silk scarves and fashion accessories, with further products in development.
For Liz, the venture has an importance extending far beyond the products themselves. She hopes it will provide Lindy with a creative occupation suited to her talents and a business she can continue developing as she grows older.
Every Scarf Tells a Family Story
Among the most striking creations are the family’s intricately illustrated silk scarves. Made from 100 per cent mulberry silk, each design tells a story connected to Lindy’s Egyptian heritage.
One depicts downtown Cairo, where her parents spent time together during the Egyptian Revolution. Its illustrations incorporate landmarks including Cairo Tower and the historic buildings surrounding Tahrir Square.
There is also a small table with a shisha pipe, representing Lindy’s grandfather and his habit of enjoying coffee and shisha in downtown Cairo.
Another design features a traditional felucca sailing along the Nile, inspired by her parents’ first date. Liz has taken some artistic licence with the scenery, combining memories of their sailing trip with imagery from other parts of Egypt. The design has also been adapted into a silk fan.
A further scarf draws inspiration from the Valley of the Kings. Rather than producing generic Egyptian souvenirs, Liz and Lindy are creating designs with personal connections to their family’s history.
“Every scarf that her and I have designed has a story behind it,” Liz says.
The illustrations are created using Adobe Illustrator, with the mother and daughter developing the designs themselves before arranging production.
Pharaohs, Goddesses and a Very Egyptian Bin Chicken
Jewellery is another major component of the business. The pair have developed a limited-edition collection of Egyptian-inspired talisman necklaces featuring gods, goddesses, pharaohs and queens.
The pieces are available in 14-carat gold plating and silver plating. Each design is produced in limited quantities, with certificates of warranty and authenticity supplied.
The intention is to retire designs once they sell out and introduce new figures from ancient Egyptian history.
There is also an unexpected Australian connection. One forthcoming design features an ibis — the bird Brisbane residents affectionately, or sometimes less affectionately, call the bin chicken.
In ancient Egypt, the ibis was associated with Thoth, the god connected with wisdom and knowledge. Liz has incorporated that symbolism into a contemporary jewellery design featuring gold plating and mother-of-pearl inlays.
The result brings together two very different cultural identities: the familiar Australian ibis and its ancient Egyptian significance.
Three Generations of Creativity
The business is also becoming a family enterprise spanning three generations. Liz’s mother is an accomplished seamstress who is helping develop a clothing range.
The designs include 1950s-inspired halterneck dresses, boleros and hostess aprons.
Another product is a collection of decorative button covers, designed to transform existing clothing without requiring customers to purchase entirely new outfits.
Liz says sustainability and quality are important considerations. She also wants to keep as much of the business’s manufacturing and textile work within the Moreton Bay region as possible.
The family has deliberately chosen limited production runs rather than mass manufacturing.
“We don’t want to be too big because our relationship with our customers is really important,” she says.
“Anahata is a small café and spiritual community in Kallangur, and we’re passionate about supporting small local businesses, particularly people who put so much love and care into creating things by hand.
What initially attracted us to Lindy’s collection was her connection to Egypt. Egyptian culture and the pyramids have a special spiritual significance for many people in our community, but Lindy’s story and the journey she has shared with her daughter also resonate deeply.
We stock a beautiful selection of Lindy’s jewellery and her absolutely stunning scarves. I have one myself and wore it recently, receiving quite a few compliments. The designs really are remarkable.
We have several small Queensland businesses represented in the café, offering everything from designer handbags and handmade hair accessories to herbal teas. It’s a way of giving talented local people an opportunity to showcase what they create.
Especially at Christmas, I think it’s important to encourage people to support small businesses rather than automatically heading to the shopping centres. These are people creating beautiful things, often at home, with enormous care and attention. Many of the products are quite individual, and that’s what makes them special.
We’re very selective about what we stock at Anahata, and Lindy’s collection fits beautifully with what we’re trying to achieve.”
— Bel Donaldson, Anahata, Kallangur
Building a Future, One Design at a Time
Lindy Kamel Designs is currently operated from the family’s Murrumba Downs home. Its products are stocked at Anahata in Kalinga, while discussions are planned with the Abbey Museum about potentially stocking the Egyptian talisman collection.
The family is also developing a website. Although the business is still in its early stages, Liz has invested heavily in its development.
She is candid about the financial consequences of her long illness and the uncertainty facing her family. She worries about whether her husband and daughter will be able to keep their home after her death.
But rather than seeking donations, she wants people to support the business by purchasing products that Lindy has helped create.
“I just want her products to sell,” Liz says. “I want people to see that there’s a good story behind there and help our family out by supporting us in that way.”
Despite receiving further difficult medical news, Liz continues to investigate evidence-based treatment options, including clinical trials informed by genomic testing.
Her determination is grounded in her family. “When you’ve got a family that relies on you and that you love, you just can’t give up.”
For Lindy, the business offers an opportunity to develop her artistic abilities, explore her heritage and potentially build an independent future.
For her mother, it represents something even more personal. The silk scarves, necklaces and dresses are tangible expressions of the time they have spent together.
Each design carries a little of their family’s history. And in a home in Murrumba Downs, a mother is working to ensure that the stories she shares with her daughter can continue to be told for many years to come.
Lindy Kamel Designs
Based in Murrumba Downs, Queensland. Products include Egyptian-inspired jewellery, limited-edition talisman necklaces, mulberry silk scarves, fans and fashion accessories.
Selected products are available through Anahata in Kalinga, with further retail arrangements and an online store being developed. Readers can find Lindy Kamel Designs on Instagram.
CLICK ANY LOGO TO SEE PUBLICATION
