A piece you will want to wear forever, this is what Dara Hamarneh keeps in mind when she designs her handbags. A tad vintage, a drop pop, resolutely modern, we wanted to meet this lady creating what are set to become iconic pieces.
Dara started her eponymous brand in November of 2019, minimal, timeless, sleek handbags and leather accessories; The mini Valletta, the classic with a twist Baguette, the playful seventies Bulles.. They come in neutral tones of Black, Iceberg and Brown, or punchy colors; Waterfall blue, Cameo Pink and this season’s must-have Love Bird exotic green. ‘I launched my brand quite selfishly’ she says ‘I couldn't find anything on the market that I truly loved and I have always had a passion for handbags’. Her aesthetic guides her brand; she has a knack for simplicity, shape and texture. ‘I always like to think that I will be looking back at my designs in a couple of years and still be in love with them. I never want to create something that I won't want to use ten years down the line.’ Her first design, the Valletta, a small top handle bag with a geometric cut twist on the flap, is named after the model Amber Valletta. ‘Her work with Helmut Lang in the 90s has always been one of my major reference points, and I love that by coincidence she has also become a pioneer in sustainability.’ A mindset close to her heart, Dara infused an ethical approach throughout her process; her pieces are handmade and no material is wasted, she chose to produce limited quantities and encourages pre-orders to avoid stock and overproduction. She carefully selected her partner, a certified tannery that ensures high standards of water conservation, energy savings and fair wages. Dara tells us about her latest design launch; the 925 Al Mare, a summer bag, part linen*, part leather featuring her now signature geometric cut, a twist from her already existing 925 model made with 100% leftover leather. ‘It is our first summer bag, and I think I will be taking it with me wherever I go. We also have exciting new colors coming soon, and more new shapes to come for the winter!’
The young entrepreneur places design and craftsmanship at the center of her brand. Born in Jordan she moved around with her family. Dara studied the Business of Fashion at Polimoda in Florence, where she was introduced to many aspects of the fashion industry, and ‘I was very taken with product development and leather itself.’ At work for her brand, she wears many hats; from design to day-to-day admin, ‘and I'm always consulting my friends and family, they are my biggest support system.’ A very detail-oriented person, she tells us she became obsessed with quality and the lifecycle of products, and really wanted to bring something to the market that could stand the test of time while maintaining an air of modernity. ‘I have a team in Italy that I work very closely with on the production and design process. It was also really important to me to find the right people that share the same values I do.’ She explains to us that production nowadays has been standardized and leather is often treated and coated with plastics, so many handbags we find in the market don't last as long, ‘when I started it was really important for me to work with leather that retained its natural state as much as possible. When it comes to materials, we have been made to believe that there are alternatives that are better than leather and the truth is that at the moment, there is nothing that can offer what leather can, especially if we hope to create something that lasts.’ From the 60s Space Age to 90s minimalism, iconic designers and references to her native Middle East, Dara’s sources of inspiration are rich but her mother’s closet is where it all started ‘I was always so impressed with my mother's collection of handbags and how even 20 years later they still look just as good’.
@darahamarneh
www.darahamarneh.com
* Linen is a low impact material, its cultivation emits fewer greenhouse gases and requires less water than other natural fibers.
