Thursday, December 6, 2018

Gifts with Meaning: Prosperity


We're starting out the Holiday Season with the perfect gift message:

Prosperity

"Prosperity"


With our Petit Icon, this makes a wonderful gift, wishing its new owner prosperity into the new year!

In Dareen's own words on this very special message:

Health of my family is MY prosperity. I am rich enough and grateful.


xoxo, Dareen


Shop now for Le Petit Icon.



Thursday, November 15, 2018

Gifts with Meaning: Happiness


Our next message highlight is the first of four messages that can be placed onto our Le Icon Series...

Happiness
"Happiness" in Arabic Calligraphy

Dareen Hakim Collection

Why Happiness?


I have always been a perfectionist, to a fault. It brings greatness but also vulnerability. Control can only reach so far and when your happiness depends on a growing circle of love, control is no longer yours. I am learning to slow down at times, take in all the perfections and imperfections and go with the flow. Keeping my eyes open to the spontaneity of the unknown is often what has made the strongest memories, deepest vulnerabilities, emotions, adventures...and pure unadulterated joy.



xoxo, Dareen

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Gifts with Meaning: Smile and the World Will Smile at You!


We're starting a brand new series this week on our blog! A deep dive into our signature metal messages and why Dareen chose these specific inscriptions to be on her handbags. 

First up, our Le Monaco Metal


Smile and the World will Smile at You

Dareen Hakim Collection
Le Monaco in Blush Python with Gold Metal inscribed with "Smile and the World will Smile at You"


"Let your smile change the world, but don't let the world change your smile." -Connor Franta

My father was an entrepreneur, signing every contract with a kind smile on his face. He became successful very young before he was diagnosed with MS. Now living with MS for 20 years, the world has been trying to change his smile, but he is still smiling...around the love of his wife, children and grandchildren, and I know that with this the world has given back to him all that he needs.

xoxo, Dareen



Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Metier Week!


During Metier Week, Dareen visited her daughter Gia's Pre-k Class at FIAF (French Institute Alliance Francaise) to teach her and her classmates all about how to build a handbag business in the fashion world. She presented how to create, conceive and build a brand in the fashion industry and also taught them how to make their own Le Icon handbags out of paper! All the girls had a blast and were even sporting their handmade Le Icons all week!

Thursday, October 4, 2018

How Our Metals' Stories Can Be a Part of Yours




One characteristic of our bags that we are insanely proud of is our metals. They bring the tradition of an old art form to modern handbags, joining the past to the present. Each metal is hand-crafted with calligraphy inscriptions, written with messages of inspiration and reminders for living life to the fullest, and applied on luxurious Italian leather clutches, crossbody bags, shoulder bags, and small leather goods.

Nearly all of our bags have a unique message, and many are customizable in not only message but color, ranging from brass to gold, making each handbag truly unique to its owner. Take a look for yourself and find your perfect handbag that uniquely tells your story.



Wednesday, August 15, 2018

DHC x Knitting Without Borders


Dareen Hakim Collection has passionately, and often silently, contributed across a variety of efforts throughout the years, from great to small, helping in whatever way possible.  A firm advocate of giving back and helping those in need, Dareen recently partnered with Knitting Without Borders, a beautiful organization that delivers joy to children across the world through the friendship of a beautiful, handmade teddy bear. 

Along with her two daughters, Mila 6 and Gia 4 years old, Dareen delivered over two hundred knitted bears and toys to the children of a Syrian refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. They embarked on the 2 hour journey from central Beirut to a region of Lebanon that has sheltered Syrian children and families escaping from the terrors of war, enduring sudden poverty, loss, and illness.  Upon arriving and expecting desolation, Dareen and the girls were welcomed by groups of excited children and their families, all with great big smiles of anticipation and hope.  Dareen spoke with several of the family members while Mila and Gia helped her and made friends among the children as they passed out gifts of joy, bears and toys. One little girl ran back to her tent, and came with offerings of 2 small pieces of chocolate to thank Mila and Gia.  Their faces of serene gratitude were more than just for the gifts, but for the joy of new friendship and the simple appreciation for attention and care. 


Knitting Without Borders, a non-profit organization started by Loredana Delucci began as a way to bring joy to children living with illness or displacement. She knit two hundred and fifty bears initially, which were then sent to a children’s hospital in Kenya. Over the years, her friends and family volunteered their time to knit over 4600 bears that have since gone to over 40 different countries ... and now Lebanon.

Dareen, Mila and Gia made a promise to themselves to visit the Syrian refugee children every time they go back home to visit.


Wednesday, June 27, 2018

CELEBRITY STYLE REMIX: Jennifer Lopez


She's our top style icon. Seriously, we can count on one hand the amount of times she gotten a red carpet wrong. Her street-style is a sexy blend of casual and cool, sophisticated and trendy, South Beach and New York. So it only makes sense we would remix her look, leaving most of it just as she styled it, just with the addition of our bags. Observe:



A timeless pairing: jeans, a blazer and a lightweight button-up with just the right pop of color. There isn't a bag more suited to this look than Le Parisien Black/Stone.


We don't usually like to pick favorites when it comes to our celebrity crushes' style (who are we kidding? Yes we do) but this look ranks very high on our Jennifer Lopez list. The perfect tailoring, the gold details and lace shirt, all of it. We, of course, would choose to add a hint of color with a different clutch. Le Icon Blush/Bronze is the perfect balance of soft and bold.

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

INSPIRATION: Beirut Street Art

It's no secret what inspires us as we develop each new collection. We are constantly looking through magazines and observing trends, but what we love most is going back to the sources we know best: CULTURE. 

Street art in Beirut can be colorful and bold or soft & demure, just like our bags. Take a peek into Dareen's mind through her hometown and how it inspired the summer collection.



Le Icon Stone-Turquoise is a daring take on our classic style, yet subtle and understated. Le Icon Pochette Coral embraces trendy, brighter colors for the summer without being over the top. The perfect combination.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

COLOR CODE : Coral




Another summer, another chance for us to celebrate this perfect summer color. Whether or not it is a trending color for the season, CORAL has always been one that women gravitate towards. It's all at once warm and inviting, bright and chic.

How you choose to wear it is entirely dependent on your own style and sometimes, where you'll be. An airy midi-dress is right on trend as warmer weather descends on New York City, especially with our LE GENOA Coral-Gris. If you favor a more bohemian look, you can't go wrong in silk paired with LE ICON POCHETTE Turquoise. Each look has our signature colorblocking, one subtle and one bold.


With summer also comes the times when we can't spare a moment switch one bag for the next when we get home to prep for a night out. LE ICON POCHETTE Coral can go from "running errands around town" to "date night on the town"with a simple outfit change.

No matter your own personal style, we're sure this is a color you can incorporate into your wardrobes for these upcoming warmer months. Check out three more styles perfect for your summer adventures, and let us know in the comments which one you'd choose!






Monday, May 21, 2018

DH SELECTOR : Perfect Pairs

No matter what your go-to look is, we can all agree that a white suit is a crisp, classic look that all women can rely on. It's a look celebrities and influencers constantly go to when they want to look polished, professional and chic. I'm sure we all know and love Bianca jagger's trend-setting white suit - it really is a fail safe look.

There are so many ways to wear and love all white (as seen on the celebs above!) and you can trust us to have a bag to pair with your look. Keep on reading to find out more!


A white suit with a deep bold lip color is edgy; it provides and amazing contrast that can easily break the "no white after labor day" rule. To keep with the trend, style it with Le Icon BLACK MATTE, featuring one of the newest metals in our collection. The sleek black-on-black picks up the dark lip, and the outfit becomes the perfect day-to-night  transition.


White and gold are the epitome of a match made in heaven. The details on the outfit above are a perfect match for the gold detailing on LE ROMA Blush Python. Little peeks of our favorite metal  are just enough to make any outfit look infinitely more stylish, so make sure you still go for it even if the only gold you have is on your bag.


A skirt suit is fashion's more feminine take on the power suit, what better way to wear it than with LE CAPRI Stone? The envelope-style clutch is essential to your evening attire, and even better to take with you on vacation - white is also a great bathing suit color *wink wink*

Thursday, May 17, 2018

ACCESSORIES REMIX : Pops of Color


Our Le Icon Pochette consistently remains one of our best selling bags. With the summer coming around soon, we're all looking for new accessories to brighten up our wardrobes. Like the outfit above, we love any chance we get to switch up an outfit even if it means just using similar, brighter colors. LE ICON POCHETTE Amber is the perfect pop of color to go with a pair of fabulous fuchsia heels.


Who knew such a bold red would look AMAZING with a soft purple hue? Pair with the Cherry pochette and black sandals for the perfect balance of edgy and chic. If you want to explore color but don't want to be too daring, you can't go wrong with turquoise. A flawless complement to lilac, this is one color that exudes summer-readiness. And what better way to do that than with our limited edition colorblock pochette in Black-Turquoise.





Tuesday, February 20, 2018

CELEBRITY STYLE REMIX: ZENDAYA

Get the starlet’s street-chic & cool style with our newest and funkiest crossbody

There’s no young actress hotter than Zendaya, and no young actress whose style is more emulated! We had to remix two of our favorite looks newest crossbody LE GENOA in Stone/Black.
Tackle denim on denim with a pair of fun, colorful heels and this color-blocked beauty or be courtside ready in everyone’s favorite new neutral (Camo!) layered with a leather jacket and plain white t-shirt. Either way, both of these looks are sure winners!

Get your hands on Le Genoa Stone/Black here: http://bit.ly/2DBtG3d
Shop the full collection: http://bit.ly/2CNddVd

CELEBRITY STYLE REMIX: BLAKE LIVELY

Never one to shy away from color, we’ve given the style icon’s effortless look a “do over” to go with our sleek clutch & crossbody

If there’s one thing we can’t get enough of, it’s color! The ever stylish Blake Lively has always been one to watch with her style and the way she puts her looks together. Recently while promoting her latest movie All I See is You, she paired red + navy blue (and sequins!), and we felt compelled to recreate a look with those colors as well.
Our bag of choice here: LE ICON POCHETTE in Cherry. You can’t ever go wrong with a red bag!



Not one to lose a single fashion step even while pregnant, we loved her in this sapphire blue dress. It’s always a good idea to add in another shade in the same color family (hello, periwinkle leather jacket!) and neutral-toned accessories like LE CAPRI in Stone!



Shop the full collection: http://bit.ly/2CNddVd


Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Color Trend Alert: "Seafoam Green" "Mint" and our very own "Cyan" Le Capri"

Drift away into the beauty of Le Capri, a simple yet refined elegance with a touch of the unexpected. We die for the cyan color (below) - a must have for the fall!
Would go great with neutral tones like camel, charcoal, gray, and slate for Fall.


"We first saw it through a saturated version of mint green on the ChloĆ© Fall 2011 runway; since then, subtle versions have been popping up, like on Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s minty green skirt and Olivia Wilde’s ChloĆ© Resort 2012 dress." (source: http://bit.ly/tMz981)


Le Capri will complement any outfit with its sleek silhouette and beautifully curved, dimensional rustic brass plaque.  Available in these fashion forward colors for this fall and winter: