Liwan sandals, a jet-set favorite, launch in the U.S. at L.A. boutique Feal Mor

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Vanessa Paradis, Catherine Deneuve, Tilda Swinton and T Magazine editor Sally Singer are among the chic women who’ve taken a shine to Liwan sandals — leather slip-ons handmade in Lebanon that evoke the bejeweled, colorful dress of the Middle East.

Previously, you could get the $99 shoes only at the Liwan boutiques in Beirut and Paris. But, much to our delight, the ladylike sandals have recently made their North American debut at local boutique Feal Mor.

Based on the traditional bejeweled Khaleeji strappy footwear, the flat, earthy-feeling sandals marry metallic leathers and eye-popping colors such as coral, hot pink and teal.

Designer Lina Audi opened Liwan — a treasure chest of Lebanese and Middle Eastern clothes, jewelry and housewares (including beautiful silk djellabas) — in Paris in 1992. And it quickly became one of those cult-favorite boutiques magazine editors frequent during the seasonal fashion shows. Singer even featured the store in Vogue (her former employer) in an article naming her favorite Parisian shops.

Not that we need any famous endorsements to genuinely covet this gorgeous footwear.

Feal Mor, 165 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 939-6600.

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