Sarah's Bag Journeys To Africa For Latest collection.

African-inspired prints of electric blues and deep purples with fluorescent accents pack a punch of summer color into the latest collection from Sarah’s Bag, which debuted this weekend at Ginette in Beirut.
The collection of 77 unique pieces is varied, including clutches, handbags, beach bags, hats, beach towels, sandals, bracelets and even a few Mumu-style, tie-dye cover-ups to wear poolside. All signs point to summer in this fun, bright line of accessories, entitled “Saga Africa.”
Sarah Beydoun, the creative director and founder of Sarah’s Bag, told The Daily Star that the new line was inspired by fabrics from Nigeria and a desire to showoff an Africa-inspired colorscape, combining earthy materials with splashes of bold hues.
In addition to prints straight from Lagos, many of the handbags feature intricate beading and embroidery. The line also utilizes a range of materials – wooden handles, leopard print, snakeskin, leather and woven bags – to create a Sahara-like vibe.
“We used a lot of different material – the leather is a snake skin print. On another bag the leather is crackled, like the dry land of Africa. I wanted to stay loyal to this muse,” says Beydoun standing among her creations in the shop of Ginette, specially decorated with greenery and palm trees to complement the theme as well as the grassy greens of the collection.

While smaller items, like mini bags and bracelets range from about $35-$120, the handbags start at $250 and reach up to $650 for the standout pieces, like a vivid purple bag made of snake-skin print leather, the meticulously hand-beaded and embroidered clutches and large shoulder bags.
A set of eye-catching bags with funky, plastic chain straps uses prints that have been accented with hand painting – another innovation the designer toyed with for Saga Africa.
“We also added a lot of strong colors, like the fluorescents. We even painted on some of the fabrics because you don’t usually find fluorescents, like these yellows, in fabric and we were so keen to have some pop from neon colors, so we added it,” Beydoun explains.
And pop these colors do. Instead of fading into or subtly adorning an outfit, the handbags in this collection make a statement. As one-of-a-kind pieces, Sarah’s Bag costumers need not worry about showing up at the beach or an event and seeing anything similar. Each bag has a label sewed into a pocket that marks it as a unique piece.
While this collection spins off into a journey to Africa, the ethos behind Sarah’s Bag remains very local – the products are made in Lebanon and Beydoun still employs women from Baabda and Tripoli prisons to make the bags.
“Many of these pieces are all leather but the accents are all done by the women that we work with. We have to keep these women working and keep that element, the essence of our work, in every bag,” Beydoun says, speaking of the female inmates she has worked with since beginning the company more than 11 years ago.
The line will soon be available at the Sarah’s Bag atelier in Gemmayzeh.