When asked by FTA about the one fashion item a woman should never own, Saudi fashion editor turned entrepreneur Marriam Mossalli was very quick with her reply: “Micro bags for sure.”

“Bags are supposed to possess both form and function, but micro purses can barely fit a lipstick, let alone fulfill their purpose as a product of convenience,” says the founder of Jeddah-based luxury consultancy Niche Arabia.

Marriam Mossalli, shot by Lina Qummosani Fashion Trust Arabia
Marriam Mossalli, shot by Lina Qummosani

While she is known for her love of fashion, Marriam has never been a trend follower. For her the best alternative to a micro bag is a man! “My husband is my favorite accessory! My cigarettes, lighter, perfume, lip-gloss and even portable charger all usually fit inside his coat pockets,” she says with a smile. “Seriously right now, I’m a fan of the recycled canvas tote. It screams sustainability, which is always on trend, and isn’t as pretentious as a designer bag that you’ve spent thousands on and will eventually hate when you realize it’s been gifted to a bunch of influencers on Instagram.”

She has even spoken about her aversion to the micro bag on her social media accounts. Adds Marriam, author of street-style book Under The Abaya: “It’s like an abaya – if it loses its function of modest covering, it’s no longer an abaya.”