DUBAI: US luxury handbag designer Tyler Ellis has teamed up with bespoke Emirati couturier Hamda Al-Fahim on a limited edition capsule collection. The collaboration marks the first time that the celeb-favorite handbag label has partnered with a regional brand. Entitled “Love and Romance,” the new capsule collection merges Ellis’s classic silhouettes with Al-Fahim’s hand-embellished designs. For the collection, the Los Angeles-based brand’s signature bags, including the Meme Pouch, Lee Pouchet, Perry and Lily Clutches, got a makeover using different textiles, patterns and embellishments such as crystals, feathers, delicate beading and sequins. The Emirati designer selected all of the rich fabrics used in the offering, including satin, and embroidered all of the bags in her Abu Dhabi atelier, before they were sent to Italy — where Ellis manufactures her bags — to be meticulously handcrafted by highly skilled local artisans. “I am truly excited to launch my first-ever partnership in the Middle East with the talented Hamda Al-Fahim,” said Ellis of the collaboration. “The ‘Love and Romance’ collection celebrates two women of the same age from completely different cultures and backgrounds, coming together to create unique pieces of art,” she shared. “We are entrepreneurial designers who’ve built independent, successful, female-owned brands that highlight craftsmanship, true luxury and timeless designs, and this capsule collection is a testament to the passion and dedication we both feel towards our creations,” Al-Fahim chimed in. Los Angeles-born Ellis launched her eponymous handbag line in 2011. Her creations have been sported by nearly every celebrity you can think of, including Jennifer Lopez, Tracee Ellis Ross, Sarah Paulson and Olivia Munn. The capsule collection is available to purchase online on tylerellis.com and Hamda Al-Fahim’s design studio in Abu Dhabi.