Is there anything better than finding the perfect unique piece to make your wardrobe come alive? When it comes to practical accessorizing, you want something easy that will complement everything but will still add flair and originality, paying homage to the personality you illuminate with your personal style choices. But handbags, bags, totes and such come in all different shapes, sizes and functions. Cousins Sara and Lamia Al Nafisi are particularly fond of clutches, so much that their love of the staple led them to starting up their own business centered around the fashionable accessory, but with a twist.
We must ask the dream team, however – “why clutches?” what makes clutches different than larger purses and bags? “We find that clutches are modern, and they’re just so much easier than the standard big bag,” co-founder Sara states. “They’re just lighter, handier, and multifunctional, and we both prefer their general use and aesthetic over handbags!” And with a closeness and bond that brought the cousins together on an entrepreneurial level, Sac was born.
Their journey began right before Ramadan 2016, and launched towards the end of the year – “November 14th, to be exact,” Lamia smiles. Both Lamia and Sara speak highly of their product, and as they show us pieces of their well-curated stock, we can see the pride they have for these handcrafted beauties and why clutches was a perfect choice for them to invest their time and creativity in.
The clutches are completely Kuwaiti-made, with no international sourcing. Each fabric used and the embroiderer himself are situated within Kuwait, and the girls often find themselves journeying around the country to collect whatever is necessary to make their pieces come alive. Though neither one of them fancies themselves a designer, (Sara works in finance, and Lamia specializes in PR), all designs are created by them, thus transferring them from thought, to paper, to fabric in a flow that transforms ideas into works of wearable art.
The great thing about Sac’s clutches is that they are truly original, and made with lots of consideration. Not only are they entirely different from anything else on the market, they cater to a larger demographic consumer base around Kuwait. “Sac prides itself on being affordable, and we have a customer base starting at 12 to women my grandmother’s age!” Sara says as she holds up one of their pieces: a gray vegan leather clutch with textured geometrical embroideries adorning the front. “And its affordability comes with the local fabrics and materials we use. This is why we use vegan leather as opposed to sourcing natural leather, because we want to keep our brand affordable to all— and we don’t have the heart to add embroidery to leather!” Sara quips. “We also love how versatile our clutches are and that each one offers something special,” Lamia adds as she gently tugs open the top-zip closure, revealing a smooth lining that adds a pop of color to the clutch’s aesthetic. “Each model has a different color lining, which makes each clutch a true original.”
The designs of each are based on the two stylish co-founders’ agreeable tastes that tend to complement one another perfectly. Sara, in a bohemian-inspired red casual floral frock presented an earthy-chicness that is emulated on a best-selling, sold out piece we fell in love with: a dark velvet pouch with an embroidered cherry blossom stitching throughout, ideal for the winter, fall and early spring months. Lamia’s edgy chic structured scuba skirt paired with a textured cream sweater seemed to be an indirect nod to the geometric embroideries stitched on the gray, black and navy clutches, and yet what’s funny is that they don’t plan to do this. “Actually,” Sara begins, “the velvet Cherry Blossom clutch was Lamia’s baby. She loves cherry blossoms and she really wanted to put it on velvet, so I let her take over that specific project.” And Sara’s current favorite? “I’m really excited about the new navy clutch we have” referring to the vegan leather clutch with gold-tone, geometric embroidery, perched delicately in her hand.
Sac’s classic designs are agreeable year-round, and stem from influences that that reap cousin’s relatable passions: nature, modernity, clean-cut lines, minimalism, tradition and style. But what we found especially attractive was the obvious Islamic-geometric influences throughout some of their pieces. “[The Islamic influence] was not done on purpose!” Sara laughs, good-naturedly. “I think that this style is just engrained in us. We’re from here, we grew up here, so of course our tastes are going to subconsciously sway towards our culture!” Imagine pairing those influences with their upcoming Ramadan collection, a season for style that makes us all feel giddy with joy as we get to bask in old-Arabic styles such as dara’as and tatreez everything – if the anticipation alone isn’t exciting, we don’t know what is!
For now, Sac is focusing on their love of the clutch. “It’s been doing really well so far, and while we’re our own biggest fans and our family members are huge supporters, we were so pleasantly surprised to see that our largest customer base comes from people who we don’t even know.” This is always a good sign, and with sophisticated, relatable and stylish no-nonsense pieces, we know that they will only flourish. But what’s next for the two? “I’d like for us to start getting our fabrics abroad, eventually – maybe India or Turkey where they specialize in embroideries as well,” the quieter Lamia says with a twinkle in her eye. “We also have a bunch of ideas to add to our collection! Hint: they’re going to stay within the bag family, so stay tuned to find out!”
Sac is available on Instagram, and all orders are placed via Direct Message. Follow them on Instagram @sac.kw
