Sarah’s Bag

Climb the stairs in this dilapidated building to reach the innovative showroom of Sarah’s Bag, which bills itself as a fashion brand and social enterprise. Founder Sarah Beydoun grew up in Beirut and conceived of her fashion concept when working with women at risk and female prisoners in 2000. Her whimsical aesthetic has earned her pages in Vogue and fans across Europe. One popular collection called Rise Up features bags with sayings like “Women of the World Unite” and “Be the Change.” Retail Therapy plays on medicine with bags that resemble pill boxes. In recent years, Beydound and her sister Malak have expanded beyond bags to sell scarves, shoes and jackets; but each item is still hand-beaded or embroidered by underprivileged women. With hand-painted tile floors and stained-glass windows, the second-floor boutique has a homey atmosphere, where bags are displayed like art, and it is impossible not to make a purchase—and do some good at the same time.