Sarah Beydoun

Country:

Lebanon

Professions:

Creative Director

Field(s) of expertise:

Cultural Events

Areas of Impact:

Arts

Sarah Beydoun

Creative Director, Supervisor of Production, and Marketing Products

+961 3 543 876

Sara's Bag

+961 1 575585

+961 3 543 876

Education:

Master's degree, Public Relations and Sociology, 1999, Saint-Joseph University, Lebanon.
Bachelor degree, Sociology, 1995, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

Previous Professions:

Creative Director, Supervisor of Production, and Marketing Products, 2000 - present, Sara’s Bag.

Major achievements:

Founding Sarah’s Bag, a luxury fashion house and social enterprise specialized in design of handbags and accessories.
Training incarcerated women on hand embroidery and stitching, and employing them, in collaboration with Dar al-Amal and the Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World at the Lebanese American University.
Preserving and reviving ancient handicraft techniques by using them to interpret modern designs. In coordination with Sarah’s Bag design team, Beydoun is constantly discovering and experimenting with new materials and techniques, whether it’s Perspex and resin to create minimalist masterpiece statement clutches, or revamping traditional woodwork techniques such as marquetry and mother of pearl inlay.
Started a training program for incarcerated women in the Baabda prison to teach them handicraft techniques as a means of improving their livelihood. The women receive certificates of completion after they have completed the program.
Supporting local designers by organizing collaborative events to display local products and provide designers with a platform for exposure.

Exhibitions, lectures & performances:

In February 2008, the British Council selected Sarah Baydoun to represent Lebanon in the "Young Entrepreneurs in the Youth World" competition.
In June 2008, on the occasion of Umm Kulthum's anniversary, L’Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris invited Sarah’s Bag, among other artists, to showcase its collection dedicated to the Egyptian icon.
In February 2009, as part of Arabesque: Arts of the Arab World, Sarah’s Bag was featured at the Kennedy Center International Festival in Washington, D.C.
In November 2013, Vital Voices, the U.S. Department of State, and Fortune Most Powerful Women invited Sarah’s Bag to participate in the Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership. Sarah Baydoun was mentored by Kay Krill, President and CEO of ANN INC and LOFT.

Awards:

In 2016, the Oslo-based Business for Peace Foundation awarded Sarah its annual prize “Business for Peace Award” in recognition of her work as a global business leader who is positively changing the face of business.
International Young Fashion Entrepreneur of the year from the British Council, 2008.

Field(s) of Expertise:

Languages: