L'Afshar's distinctive bags may be mini in size, but they make a big statement – and the Dubai brand's latest is no exception.
The accessories label, helmed by British-born Iranian designer Lilian Afshar, has unveiled a new limited-edition creation, designed to support Covid-19 relief efforts.
All proceeds from the faceted lucite Sierra handbag, imagined in an amethyst hue, will be donated to a humanitarian medical organisation, the brand revealed on Instagram.
"In an effort to give back during these uncertain times, we have designed a limited-edition bag," the product's online listing adds. "100 per cent of all proceeds will be donated to ... a charity chosen by L'Afshar's fans."
The idea was born from the brand's wish to give back to the community of emergency workers fighting the coronavirus on the front lines.
"We wanted to create an initiative that our customers [as a collective] can come together and make a change," founder Lilian tells The National. "So I reached out to everyone on Instagram asking them to recommend all the great organisations we can work with. That is what this initiative also symbolises – unity and solidarity. I just want to help in my own creative way."
The Sierra, which also features gold hardware and a magnetic fastening, is priced at $1,000 (Dh3,674), with the style set to be more widely launched next season.
"I’m using one of our latest designs that is being launched next season in a colour that is an ode to the seventh and highest chakra," says Lilian. "It represents strength, spirituality, passion, and meditation. All attributes that we can hone in on to get through this time."
The brand is currently offering a 20 per cent discount on online orders, though the Sierra is not eligible for the offer.
L'Afshar was launched in 2013 by its namesake founder, with its designs since carried by the likes of Beyonce, Bella Hadid, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and Sonam Kapoor. Even Jordan's Queen Rania has been photographed clasping a signature marble clutch.
The brand's bags, known for their use of architectural, boxy silhouettes and industrial materials, are handcrafted in Dubai, and Lilian says the reaction to the Sierra has already been overwhelming.
"Vogue US did a feature on it and people from all over the world are reaching out asking how to get the bag," she says. "It's amazing that we were able to inspire so many through a simple act and we are grateful for that."
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
- Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From exhibitions to the battlefield
In 2016, the Shaded Dome was awarded with the 'De Vernufteling' people's choice award, an annual prize by the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers for the most innovative project by a Dutch engineering firm.
It was assigned by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to modify the Shaded Dome to make it suitable for ballistic protection. Royal HaskoningDHV, one of the companies which designed the dome, is an independent international engineering and project management consultancy, leading the way in sustainable development and innovation.
It is driving positive change through innovation and technology, helping use resources more efficiently.
It aims to minimise the impact on the environment by leading by example in its projects in sustainable development and innovation, to become part of the solution to a more sustainable society now and into the future.
Company profile
Name: One Good Thing
Founders: Bridgett Lau and Micheal Cooke
Based in: Dubai
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 5 employees
Stage: Looking for seed funding
Investors: Self-funded and seeking external investors
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Who are the Sacklers?
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
