The founder of Solana footwear Yasmine Idriss took part in Beirut Design Week (June 22 and 29) through an exhibition held at Kalei café in Beirut’s neighborhood of Mar Mkhail. The event, according to Idriss, was launched from the Lebanese capital to encourage young designers and prop the national industry. The exhibition, she said, highlights national heritage, the alphabet legacy and the Lebanese folk dance, the dabke, which were all displayed in the designs of participating stylists. Idriss stressed the aim of the event which is to promote the image of Lebanon as reflected in the eyes of its artists and creative people and not as commercially publicized. Designers like, Jad Khoury, Tracy Shahwan, Sarah Odeimi, Lucien Baradi’ and Leen Atmeh executed their designs on shoes originally made by Lebanese artisans. Idriss maintained that besides the above aims, she seeks through Solana brand to make charity as part of her action plan by contributing nearly 5% of the proceeds of the exhibition to Malaak organization for helping Lebanese and educating Syrian refugees. (AL Mustaqbal, June 29, 2018)