HAF is a furniture design and manufacturing studio founded by Hassan Abouseda and Jihan El Touny in 2020. Their purpose was to create an aesthetic vocabulary that combined their Egyptian heritage with the culture to which they were exposed over many years of studying and living in Europe and the United States.
Hassan Abouseda’s design sensibility, while strongly rooted in the modernist tradition, with undertones of Bauhaus and Art Deco, is also heavily influenced by the art and culture of ancient Egypt.
Jihan El Touni’s keen sense of market trends and taste, both local and international, makes her a perfect editor for the collection.
HAF focuses on using local artisans and craftspeople for stone carving, glass mosaics and inlay work. This results in an aesthetic that is best described as “handmade modern”.
Every piece in the collection is custom made to order. This allows HAF to cater to the individual demands and specification of each client.
Additionally, HAF works with architects and interior designers to create one-of-a-kind pieces.
The Partners
Hassan Abouseda, Creative Director. Hassan Abouseda studied architecture at MIT where he received his Bachelors and Masters of Architecture degrees. ​ In 1990, Abouseda moved to New York City where he established HAF, a furniture design and manufacturing company based in Soho. At the same time he taught Interior Design and furniture design at The Parson's School of Design. ​ In 2000, Abouseda decided to re-focus his practice on architecture and interior design. His projects include houses in Egypt, Easthampton NY and Upstate NY, as well as apartments and restaurants in New York City. ​ In 2009, Abouseda's work brought him back to Egypt where he established Hassan Abouseda Architects, a design studio specializing in architecture and interior design. Since then, the firm has worked with many private clients as well as major real estate developers such as Orascom HD, SODIC, Somabay and El Ismaeleya. The firm's projects cover a wide range of residential, commercial and hospitality projects. Additionally, the firm is working on the restoration and re-use of several art deco buildings in the heart of downtown Cairo. ​ In 2020, Abouseda co-founded HAF.
Jihan El Touni, Executive Director. Jihan was born in Graz, Austria and raised Dusseldorf. She specialized in Business Administration and Philosophy at the American University in Paris. She then went on to blend this background with higher education in Business Strategy and Entrepreneurship at NYU. Having lived and worked in different cultures, Jihan has gained the ability and insight to communicate across not only industries but to also continue her work in building bridges across design disciplines. After managing communication and business development at Alchemy since 2012, she became a managing partner at MO’R Design Studio until 2021. There, she brought a unique blend of soul into branding strategy. Her approach is that of humanizing every brand and creating stories that resonate across audiences. Today, besides HAF, she is also involved in multiple design projects.