Wear It

The Bag Lady

While writing a thesis on female prisoners and prostitution for her master’s degree at Beirut’s Université Saint-Joseph, Sarah Beydoun had an idea – she set up a fashion label that doubled as a rehabilitation programme. As well as manufacturing Beirut’s funkiest and freshest handbags, Sarah’s Bag gave many underprivileged women the opportunity to train as skilled craftspeople and textile makers.

In recent years, Sarah’s Bag has extended its range to include scarves, shoes, belts and bangles, although it’s the bags that still catch the eye. Each has its own character; some are inspired by graffiti, others by pop art or Arabic embroidery – one is made out of 1,001 safety pins. The main Sarah’s Bag showroom is in Beirut, although you can also buy her bags and accessories in shops in Dubai and Jeddah. www.sarahsbag.com