Overview

Inspired by Anya Lewin's family photographs and public archives, Fez: The Royal Scent takes place from 1926 to 1928, when Lewin’s father was a child, and his father and mother decided to leave Berlin for Cairo, Egypt, which had a large Jewish immigrant community. Once settled in Cairo the family opened a perfume shop and Lewin’s grandmother—who had a degree in chemistry—invented a scent called Fez that was presented in a bottle in the shape of the common Fez hat. The bottles were stacked in the shop window when one day King Fuad I happened to drive past, stopped the royal car and bought all the stock. Fez became the Royal Perfume and the family stayed in Cairo for two years.