Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Kurdish bags- my version of Gucci





You cannot say you have been to Kurdistan if you have not visited the Erbil Citadel and the Bazaar that surrounds it. In that area one in particular catches your attention from distance due to its unique colors and really it gives off vibes of the Kurdish culture and folklore even from great distance away.

Any typical girl will tell you an expensive and worthy hand bag is always a good investment; and no one will say no to the renowned designer labels such as Gucci, Chanel, Dior and what have you can never compete with the original handmade Kurdish bags that are a true reflection of the Kurdish culture.

It was always on my mind to have one made especially for me, the dream came true. One of the few shop owners in the Bazaar who sells hand-made Kurdish carpets, wall rug, bags and other Kurdish folklore was more than happy to ‘custom’ design my hand bag. “Remove this, keep this, shorten this, lengthen that, sew here- but not there” the person running the shop will even listen to the colors that you chose- the choices are limitless, but RED is obviously the most desired choice. The end product is definitely a treasured piece and an every use- what better than a hand bag that is hand-made, with your own initials on it, a true reflection and representation of the Kurdish culture.

I just wish people supported this local industry more, and even more importantly appreciated the effort and hard work that goes into the process of creating these small but very meaningful treasures.

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