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On Our Radar: Dareen Hakim

Designer Dareen Hakim

DAREEN HAKIM.

Currently dividing her time between New York and California, Lebanese accessories designer, Dareen Hakim, also often travels back to Beirut in search of ancient beauty and new inspirations. After an early career in finance, the Harvard alumni left Wall Street and decided to apply her sense of business to the fashion industry and accessory design in particular, focusing on a range of clutches adorned with artisanal-inspired embellishments. Hakim’s bag collections are coveted on the red carpets from New York to Hollywood where they have been spotted on celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Fergie, and casting agent and stylist extraordinaire, Natalie Joos.

On her previous activity and starting her eponymous brand.

I have to say that I have truly enjoyed every step of my career path beginning on Wall Street; my path has molded me into the person that I am today. The skills that I learned in finance prepared me to start and grow my business, the relationships I founded have stayed with me, and the discipline is like no other. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.

Both my father and mother are entrepreneurs and I, too, wanted to create something of my own. My true passion has always been in design and fashion. I love it, I live it, and I breathe it…it makes me happy and takes me to a world of beauty and creativity. I wanted my business to be centered in this world, so that I would wake up every day excited to start work, never get bored, and be resilient. The Dareen Hakim Collection is my own creative outlet to explore and express all of my passions and inspirations.

dareen bag1

LE PARISIEN.

On her style, in three words.

Chic, bold, and unexpected, which is our brand motto! Always classy and feminine but in a unique, surprising, and unusual way. I like to stand apart, never just blend in. My style represents who I am in all its crazy glory.

On her most emblematic bag.

My Le Icon clutch is the most emblematic because it was the first clutch I ever designed. It represents me, my past, and my present in one. The clutch is a fusion of the heritage of my culture and the modernity of my present life, in a cool, fashionable, yet functional day-to-night clutch. It can be customized with four metals and four special messages, allowing someone to create a clutch that resonates and is unique to her.

On her customers in the Middle East.

The DH woman is confident, worldly, and deep. She has ambition in her life, seeks out answers, is curious and creative, and is not afraid of being herself. She presents herself externally in the same way that she feels internally. My customers in the Middle East praise the collection. I use the universal language of fashion and art to share the beauty of our culture with the rest of the world. And I am not  afraid of stereotypes but rather challenge them with a language that all appreciate and understand. This is what inspires and encourages me daily.

dareen bag 2

LE ST. TROPEZ.

On artistic collaborations and charity.

Last season I collaborated with the artist Kinda Hibrawi [a Saudi Arabian artist specialized in contemporary Arabic calligraphy] to create our “Live & Laugh” Charity Scarf, which benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It features a beautiful hand painted mosaic design of our popular Live & Laugh message but is also special because it supports a cause that I feel so passionately about. Continuing to evolve and support great organizations like St. Jude is something I hope I can continue to do as my business grows.

On her future plans.

I want to continue to grow my brand and hope to always share it with the same passion and pride that I have for it today. Every season brings new excitement and also new challenges, but overcoming those challenges and coming up with creations that inspire and bring joy is what I always aim to do. We currently distribute in over 40 countries through shops and also through our website, where we offer free shipping worldwide so that the bags are accessible to everyone.

www.dareenhakim.com

 

 

 

 

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