For decades, Beirut has been known as a city where culture, nightlife and fashion converge. Home to designers such as Elie Saab and Sandra Mansour, the capital is renowned for fashion that reflects a distinctly Lebanese blend of craftsmanship and refinement, but what is often overlooked is how much of that voice is also shaped by resilience. From the 15-year-long Lebanese civil war and repeated regional flare-ups to the most recent war between Israel and Hizbollah that has left parts of the country devastated and communities disrupted, Lebanon has endured half a century of conflict.

“Personally, I have lived through war for more than 60 per cent of my life as a child, a teenager, an adult, a mother and a business owner. The prevailing feeling today is one of deep exhaustion,” says Sarah Beydoun, founder and creative director of Sarah’s Bag, a Beirut-based brand built around social impact, craftsmanship and ethical production.

Check the article at ft.com