A Chit Chat with Arabia Weddings: Sarah Beydoun of Sarah’s Bag
Few fashion brands blend luxury with purpose as seamlessly as Sarah’s Bag, a Lebanese fashion brand known for its bold designs and deeper mission. Founded in 2000 by sociologist-turned-designer Sarah Beydoun, the brand has carved out a space in the global fashion scene with its handcrafted handbags and accessories that are as socially impactful as they are visually striking. Each Sarah’s Bag creation is a vibrant celebration of craftsmanship, femininity, and cultural heritage, all while empowering the very women who bring these pieces to life.
Sarah’s journey into fashion was born from a powerful intersection of passion and compassion. While completing her sociology degree, she was conducting research with female prisoners and at-risk women at a local NGO in Beirut. What began as fieldwork soon evolved into a groundbreaking social enterprise that trains and employs these women in artisanal crafts.
Today, over 200 women, including current and former prisoners and women from underprivileged communities, are behind the exquisite hand-beading, embroidery, and artistry that define Sarah’s Bag. The result is not only a collection of iconic fashion statements but also a platform of transformation and reintegration for women on the margins of society.
Sarah’s Bag began as a rehabilitation initiative inside a women’s prison. How has that core mission evolved? Is prison-based production still active, and how has it adapted post-2020?
Our core mission has always been to combine craftsmanship with purpose, empowering underprivileged women through dignified employment and skill-building. Since the coronavirus pandemic and the economic crisis in the country, our production has shifted from prisons to reach underprivileged women in various villages across Lebanon.
For women who’ve completed their sentences, we’ve expanded opportunities for them to continue working with us as part of our external artisan network. These women now contribute from home or dedicated workshops, allowing them to earn an income and rebuild their lives through meaningful, creative work. The journey of empowering skilled artisans is one we continue to support, and it remains a cornerstone of who we are as a social enterprise.
Your designs have famously drawn from Lebanese childhood staples (like Bonjus bottles and kaak) and poetry. Are there any new cultural icons or memories inspiring your latest collections?
We have reimagined our iconic Manousheh and Bonjus designs into charming bag accessories, turning these playful cultural symbols into decorative charms that can adorn any bag.
These pieces add a touch of nostalgia in a fun and versatile way, keeping our heritage alive in everyday fashion. Aside from our nostalgic collections inspired by Lebanese heritage, we ensure that every collection includes traditional Middle Eastern crafts, from intricate beadwork and hand embroidery to age-old textile techniques passed down through generations.
There’s a revival of regional handwork traditions, and we have embraced that by celebrating our heritage through Arabic calligraphy, metallic threadwork, and heirloom-style details.
In every earlier collection, you offered bridal-ready clutches adorned with pearls and Makouk. Have you introduced any new bridal designs or customization options specifically for weddings?
We are very happy to see brides today carrying a statement bag on their wedding day rather than a bouquet. We are also very pleased to customize bags for the bride and her family, to go with their wedding looks.
Brides approach us to design bespoke bags and ready-to-wear pieces, incorporating meaningful details like special dates or a personal message engraved on a brass tag inside the bag, or even embroidered directly onto the piece.
We have also created custom capes for both brides and grooms. One of our most beloved bridal pieces remains our iconic "Just Married" bag, which continues to be a favorite for weddings and post wedding parties
With the region’s growing bridal industry, have you considered creating a full bridal capsule—beyond clutches—that celebrates Arab bridal traditions with a modern twist?
Beyond bags and customized capes, we have expanded into offering unique wedding souvenirs where the bride can choose the theme, design, and type of handwork she desires, and we bring it to life.
We have even created wedding invitations presented inside a bespoke bag, turning the invitation into a keepsake piece. These personalized touches allow brides to weave their heritage into every detail of their celebration while adding a modern twist.
Queen Rania has been spotted wearing your designs—an extraordinary moment for any designer. How did that moment come about, and what did it mean to you and your team?
It was a deeply meaningful moment, both personally and for the women behind each piece. Queen Rania represents elegance, intelligence, and strength, and seeing her carry one of our bags was a proud milestone. She discovered us organically back in 2005, and the first time she wore one of our designs was truly a defining moment for Sarah's Bag, as it gave us our first wave of international exposure.
We were thrilled when she chose our bag for a public appearance, and it felt like a quiet affirmation of everything we stand for: design with a purpose. For Ramadan 2025, she also chose a set of an Abaya and a dress to wear for one of her social appearances. It’s always a joy to see a woman of style and substance supporting us. For our artisans, many of whom have overcome extraordinary circumstances, it was a powerful boost of recognition.
