Lebanon “Prison Chic” Bags

I posted this article after reading it from BBC and wanted to share it with you in its entirety;  BBC was cited as the source with link to the article (translated by BBC from a Lebanese newspaper) but perhaps some of you mistook it as an article I wrote.  If you want to read this amazing story about women empowering other women– go to BBC here. Reprint of entire article also after the jump.

Actress Catherine Deneuve was recently pictured on the front page

of a Lebanese newspaper wearing a black dress and carrying a matching

handbag with the Arabic words “Where is my heart?” embroidered on it.

The handbag provoked a great deal of interest, not just because of

the Arabic embroidery, but also because it was made by women who had

served time in Lebanese jails.

The bags are the

brainchild of Sarah Beydoun, who says Miss Deneuve’s wardrobe designer

first visited the factory with the black dress and asked for a matching

handbag.

A few days later Catherine Deneuve took a trip to the factory and picked out the bag herself.

Vulnerable women

The story began a few years ago when Sarah was a student in Beirut writing a thesis on vulnerable women including prisoners.

Through a women’s social centre, Sarah spent some time with former prisoners seeking a new life after release from jail.  When she completed her thesis, she thought of a way to help them. (Jump for more!)

She began by employing five inmates in Baabda Female Prison to make bracelets.

Then they began to embroider pieces of cloth which were turned into handbags.

After the first lot of 12 handbags were sold to great acclaim, demand increased and the workforce was expanded to 40 female prisoners.

Sarah would visit the prison three times a week with a supply of cloth and beads. She would return later to receive the finished pieces to be turned into handbags.

Former inmates also work for her company, which is called Sarah’s Bag, as a way to make a fresh start.

Royal fan

Catherine Deneuve is not the first celebrity to acquire a Sarah’s Bag bag.

Queen Rania of Jordan has also been spotted with one.

A

friend of Queen Rania’s had visited the factory to buy her a gift and

asked Sarah to put a slip of paper inside the handbag explaining that

it had been made by prisoners.

At the time, Sarah’s handbags were not labelled because the project was in its infancy.

Queen Rania’s bag bore the popular Arabic

saying “Determination comes from those who are determined” and she

carried it at the wedding of the crown prince of Spain.

Queen Rania’s dress was by Chanel, but no mention was made of her handbag whose manufacturer was not known at the time.

Sarah contacted the Queen’s office and asked for a copy of the picture.

She

then sent it to the media with a statement describing the way her

handbags were made, adding the words: “We are proud, and hope that you

are too”.

Many newspapers and magazines published the statement and interviewed Sarah about her project.

Today it is an institution.

Recently,

handbags made by female prisoners and displaying pictures of

celebrities including the legendary Egyptian singer Um Kulthoom were

put on display at a ceremony celebrating outstanding Arab female

singers.

In the beginning, just a few handbags were

made per day. Today, there are dozens and they are sold not only in

Beirut but across the Arab and the wider world.