The main purpose of this award is to champion and celebrate the importance of creative entrepreneurs working in emerging markets in the international fashion industry – showcasing individual achievement and potential. The award is simultaneously run in 10 British Council offices: Ghana, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Sri Lanka and countries from the Gulf and Central South Asia.

The International Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 Award (IYFEY) is part of our International Young Creative Entrepreneur (IYCE) programme, also including other awards for entrepreneurs in publishing, music, design and screen.

After a challenging national competition, Sarah Beydoun from Sarah's Bags will represent Lebanon for this award. She will be in the UK from 3-16 February to take part in an exclusive tour of the UK fashion world. The tour will include meetings with key leaders in the industry, bodies such as the British Fashion Council and Fashion East, key exciting fashion entrepreneurs from the UK, as well as visits to museums, exhibitions and events. Sarah will have a chance to compete for this award at an event culminating at the London Fashion Week.

Sarah is the Creative Director and founder of Sarah's Bag, a line of handcrafted, custom-made women's fashion accessories that has expanded from a small line of beaded handbags 7 years ago to a regional fashion phenomenon built on a social conscience. Sarah marries high street fashion with community development. Her entire glamourous collection is based on the manual work of women inmates from underprivileged areas. It also strongly draws on Arab culture and tradition. She is a pioneer in empowering such women to become economically independent and feel proud and dignified.