I know trust me…..you can stop drooling over these clutches now.

Well, not quite yet, check these other ones out!

Ok fine.

Actually no…these next ones are to DIE for!

The Skaff sisters (I even love the name) are the cool chicks behind these stunning pochettes.

They’ve opened their very own trendy boutique Sunflowers downtown Beirut in the Saifi Village that just kills it. Not only do they carry these amazing clutches, they also make all the other 1,243 items available at the shop…necklaces, bracelets, rings, clothes, scarves, weekend bags, canvas totes…and the list goes on.

Oh, and the best part is, everything can be personalized. The brass, copper and silver center pieces on the clutches are hand engraved in the Lebanese traditional way and are customizable with any message you like.

What an incredible crafty and creative team of sisters!

During my quick visit to the shop, I met Carla, one of the three Skaff sisters. In short, just a very awesome girl. Here’s a snapshot of the two of us…

Carla and I @ Sunflowers in Beirut

ps- of course I didn’t leave empty handed…plus you know how much I love genuine, one-of-a-kind items. I put my hands on a couple of their gorgeous clutches (brick red lizzard and electric blue suede) plus a triple chain necklace with an evil eye which stands for ‘I’ then a ‘heart’ and ‘me’ written in arabic- I <3 Me. J’adooooore!

On my recent trip to Lebanon, during the little time that we had when we weren’t shooting Closet Candy’s Lookbook, we wandered the streets of downtown Beirut hoping to discover some cool shops where I could grab myself some nifty goodies before heading back to Milan.

We spent time walking around the cobblestoned Saifi Village- the art and fashion area in Beirut which has been beautifully rebuilt and restored after the war. As I walked around in one of the small streets while checking out shop windows, I encountered Nadine Mneimneh, a Lebanon-based Parisian fashion designer who was showcasing her stunning creations chez Starch.

With a somewhat choppy French I managed to ask Nadine if I could take a few shots of the place (you’ll see why in a sec) and as I did my thing, she kindly explained to me the concept behind Starch- a foundation created to develop and strengthen the design industry in Lebanon.

The boutique dedicated to young designers was originated by Rabih Kayrouz and Tala Hajjar who every season, together with a committee of art faculties and universities, review a series of graduate student portfolios and select the top 4 or 6 aspiring fashion designers to showcase at the shop.

Love the concept, love the shop, love the initiative– kudos to everyone involved in the Starch Foundation!

Starch boutique seen from the entrance

With Lebanese-based fashion designer Nadine Mneimneh alonside her Boussole Egarée S/S 2011 Collection

Accessories are also available at the shop

Starch's original décor

cool glass jars scattered throughout the shop (some had cherry and snake gummies in them!)

stacked jars

side view

back view

Me and some friends over at dinner a few days back.

I’m sensing major shoe fetishism here…what do you think?

Here it is– Closet Candy’s Whimsical Wonderland Spring/Summer Lookbook is finally out! I’m in love with all the outfits, aren’t you??

Hurry up and check out what’s available now at www.shopclosetcandy.com.

To visualize the Lookbook in Fullscreen mode click here.

** Super special thanks to Dana for giving me the opportunity to be part of this wonderful project and Lara Zankoul for her stunning pictures! (you can also see more of her work here)

Enjoy!!! Would love to know your thoughts on everything, so do share!