FENDI has unveiled a special Emirati edition of its Baguette bag. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, launched it on Saturday, October 31, at Al Hamriyah Studios in Sharjah. Emirati designer Khalid Shafar created the design with the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council. Emirati craftswomen wove it by hand using Talli, a traditional UAE technique.
A Meeting of Three Partners
The collaboration brings together an Italian fashion house, an Emirati designer and a craft council. Sheikha Jawaher chairs the Sharjah Family and Community Council. According to Irthi, she also founded the Irthi council. Reem BinKaram, its director general, said the project helps strengthen Emirati crafts within the global design industry. She also described it as a way to turn inherited skills into designs with creative and economic value.
The Design
Shafar built the bag around the UAE’s identity and landscape. Dark green threads represent palm trees. Gray and light green evoke the Ghaf tree. Mustard and gold capture Ghaf blossoms and desert sunlight. Silver threads echo the metallic materials of traditional Talli.
At the center is a reinterpretation of an Arabic letter, drawn from Kufic calligraphy and the distinctive logo of FENDI. According to one report, it is the letter Fa, the Arabic counterpart to the brand’s double F. Its geometric form is translated into a handwoven Talli pattern. As a result, the bag connects the look of Arabic lettering with the fashion house’s visual language.
Dark green silk fringes run across the body and strap. A metal clasp carries FENDI’s signature FF logo, finished in gold with dark green enamel.
The Craft Behind It
Talli is a braid-like embroidery traditionally made with metallic threads. Irthi has developed more than 80 Talli designs and patterns through its skills programs. One report says 12 Emirati craftswomen spent two years on the project and about 435 hours of manual work. Shafar said choosing Talli was a fundamental step because the craft carries significant cultural and aesthetic value locally.
Why It Matters
Luxury houses increasingly look to regional craft, and this launch shows how. The bag gives Emirati artisans an international platform. In addition, it extends Irthi’s partnerships with designers and fashion houses. Earlier this year, Irthi also announced a contemporary craft museum in Sharjah Creative Quarter, set to open in 2029. Therefore, the FENDI project fits a broader push to build a creative economy around heritage crafts.
