Laga's main objective was to try and find a way to help the people of Banda Aceh provide for themselves and just stumbled upon this idea. Little did they know that these little Indonesian purses would find themselves into the hearts of people all over the United States through our small efforts!
Laga Designs International, Inc. was formed in the later part of 2005 as a means to provide jobs and income for the victims they serve. Incorporating a year later, in the latter part of 2006, today Laga bags are finally making their name known throughout Southern California, as well as other states in these United States.
On the look out for conscientiously chic boutique owners to come alongside, they welcome any interested buyers. Those interested in joining Laga as a Home Show Consultant are encouraged to contact them also.
For those interested in finding out more about what they do and who they do it for, go to their website: www.laga-handbags.com and read the stories and see the beautiful handmade handbags that are causing quite the stir around the country. Prices are still reasonable at this growing stage. However, as popularity increases, we foresee them jumping through the roof...
And you can help make a difference. Email at info@laga-handbags.com or call them at 1.888.LAGA BAG.
Let's work together to make this world a better place. And get your Laga bag while it's still affordable!
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I am still in Indonesia, working to find more people to help in creating our beautiful handbags. It has been an extremely busy trip, very fruitful in every way, and I am so excited to get home.
Apparently, while I've been away, my husband, Roy, has been busy fulfilling all the orders that have been coming in after the article written on our company by the Orange County Register (http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/money/homepage/article_1574125.php) and then a follow-up article in the same paper (http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/money/homepage/article_1609732.ph). We also had the Irvine World News get onboard with a similar article (http://epaper.ocregister.com/Default/Client.asp?enter=true&skin=OCW&Daily=OCWIrvineWorldNews&AW=1172011565203) and OC Scoop Magazine started a blog as well (http://www.squeezeoc.com/blog/fashionfix/2007/02/laga_bags_handb.html).
My husband says the phone has been ringing off the hook! What an awesome thing to come home to. And what a blessing it has been to be involved in something so humanitarian. There is definitely something to be said about DOING something to help people less fortunate than to just sit and send some money and then going on with life as usual. Having gotten tangibly involved has changed our lives and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has a heart to help...
I hope to see you on our website www.laga-handbags.com and/or this blog. Would love to hear all your comments about our beautiful bags!
From Jakarta, Indonesia (stopover on my way home)~
Laga Lady
another article came out today, Friday March 9, in the Orange County Register.
It is exciting to see people from Orange County supporting Laga handbags.
We continue to serve the tsunami survivors and other victims of disaster.
Please join us in this worthy cause.
Let us know what you think of our website, www.laga-handbags.com.
Bagman
Glad things are going well, keep up the great work!
Thanks, Michelle, for your words of encouragement!
Louise, The handbags are exquisite, and all who see them marvel at the skill of the women who embroidery them. I love them all, and want one in every color. I encourage everyone to support such a worthy cause.
Thank you, Pam, for your wonderful comments about our Laga bags. I am so thrilled with the response we have been getting!! Thank you for coming alongside and joining with us in our effort to keep alive the memory of the yet overwhelming need in BA and its people.
I plan to add more stories and pictures to our website, www.laga-handbags.com. Don't forget to check our EVENTS page regularly to make sure we don't leave out all of your Las Vegas events!
It is wonderful to have Laga bags represented in Nevada... and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Hello Laga Lovers!!
It's been a couple of months since I returned from my last trip to Indonesia, when I travelled to seven different cities in fourteen days! And things haven't slowed down since~ every week we have been receiving inventory from Indonesia, holding Home Shows and boutiques and public events, and now we are getting ready to host our:
CUSTOMER APPRECIATION NIGHT
...in honor of those who have so faithfully stood by us!
This very special evening will be held on:
Saturday, June 30th
5:00p.m. to 9:00p.m.
at:
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant ~ Pilsner Room
2000 Main Street
Irvine, California
YOU MUST RSVP TO ATTEND
Please RSVP via email or telephone:
confirmations@laga-handbags.com
or
949/654-8360
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Laga Lady
Hello everyone!
We would like to take this opportunity to extend a “heart-felt” thank you to all of you who attended in support of Laga at our 2nd Annual Customer Appreciation Night! It was an amazing night and a lot of fun! It was so great to meet many of you and to share with you some of the ongoing work in which we are involved. We hope you had a wonderful time!
We would also like to thank the staff and management of McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant in Irvine who provided a wonderful atmosphere, scrumptious food and Elaine Doran, Event Promoter, for the complimentary gift certificate to all of our guests!
Last, but certainly not least, thank you so much to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout the night, from those who coordinated, set up and tore down, greeted, sold, photographed, recorded, ran lights, sound and computer, played music, spoke, narrated and modeled in our very first Laga Handbag Fashion Show. The evening was a success, thanks only to your commitment and dedication… and we appreciate all your help!
We would like to mention by name those who gave of their hearts and time to make our event special:
Master of Ceremonies ~ Chuck Taylor
Special Speaker ~ Lorri Galloway
Special Guest & Fashion Show Narrator ~ Frances Harder
Photography ~ Michael & Marianna Trammell
Technology ~ Ken Klein Productions & Drew Jongbloed
Event Coordinator ~ Brandy van Zitter
“Collaboration” band ~ Dave Pettway (vocals), Michael Brucher (drums), Robert Alvarado (percussion), Dan Maniaci (bass guitar), Paul Tapia (keyboards), Jerry Meulstee (vocals)
“Long Beach Band” ~ Cornelius and Lydia Ritiau & family/friends
Reception, cashiers, raffle and sales ~ Theresa Antenesse, Evelyn Bailey, Mia Barone, Henk and Louise Bauwin, Bella Brown, Arti Dua, Mila Erickson, Brandy van Zitter, KC Jacobson and Samy Salcido
Crew ~ Theresa Antenesse, Robert and Marianne Barone, Henk and Louise Bauwin, Roberta Denis, and Maggie Mora
Product display ~ Leslie Harvey and Lisa Miller
Fashion Show Coordinator ~ Leslie Harvey
Fashion Show Models ~ Melinda Albright, Ruby Denis, Rosalia Fortier and nieces, Tami Galloway, Stephanie Rezac, Samy Salcido, Marianna Trammell and Brandy van Zitter
We would also like to announce all the prize winners ~
Silent Auction:
Toni Sturgis ~ Angels vs. Red Soxx tickets donated by Lorri Galloway, Anaheim City Council (priceless)
Steve Mora ~ one night accommodation at the Montecito Inn, Santa Barbara ($300 value)
Kris Phelps ~ Fotofacial, donated by Bellanza Med Spa ($299 value)
Jongbloed Family ~ Laser Hair Removal, donated by Bellanza Med Spa ($200 value)
Don Pixley ~ Framed Pen and Ink Drawing, donated by Al Top, Artist ($200 value)
Jongbloed Family ~ Sjoelbak Game, donated by Dutch Games ($165 value)
Jongbloed Family ~ Framed Pen and Ink Drawing, donated by Al Top, Artist ($150 value)
Tracy Bullis ~ PartyLite basket donated by Leslie Harvey ($150 value)
Door Prizes:
Kris Phelps ~ Mulia “noble” Travel Bag by Laga
Matthew Ritiau ~ Kuat “strong” Travel Bag by Laga
We’d also like to extend a very special thank you to those who donated all the wonderful Silent Auction and Raffle Drawing prizes:
Mila Erickson, insurance broker
Steve Mora, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon
Evelyn Bailey, First Impression Interiors & Finery
Sandy O’Grady, Oh Gee Designs ~ quality hand-painted glassware
Heavenly Perks, Calvary Chapel WestGrove
Marie Gray, d’Arte Connection, Downey, El Segundo and Huntington Park
Salon Relini, Downey
We have posted some pictures from the event on our website: www.laga-handbags.com. And I will be adding many more in upcoming days. If you would like to order any of these pictures, please contact us and we will get you in touch with Michael Trammell, photographer.
If you were unable to attend and/or would like to attend an upcoming event, be sure to check our website Events page: www.laga-handbags.com/events.html.
We have a home special event coming up in Irvine, California on July 12th that might interest you. No RSVP required~ just drop by!
Again, thank you all so much for your participation in our 2nd Annual Laga Customer Appreciation Night~ it was our best ever!!
We look forward to seeing you all soon~
Blessings to you,
~R & L
PS: Happy Birthday, Kelly Carter!!!
The customer appreciation event at McCormick & Schmick's Restaurant went very well.
The handmade handbags fashion show was fantastic, especially a young lady named Samantha Salcido, I think she is 10 years old, she was so professional and cute, and made everyone laugh and smile. The story of Laga handbags continues as more and more Consultants are added to the roster. There are now Consultants in California, Oregon, Wisconsin, Virginia, New York, Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois and requests from throughout the States for information.
Laga is planning another special event very soon. Be on the lookout or sign up for updates at http://www.laga-handbags.com/contact.html.
Beautiful handmade handbags made by tsunami survivors~
Ok, so now that summer is over, fall is upon us and the holiday season is right around the corner, Laga handmade handbags are sure to be more and more visible in the Southland as well as throughout the United States.
With 28 Laga Handbag Consultants from California to New York, if you haven't seen a Laga bag on the streets yet, you surely will!
Here is a list of our Consultants and their contact information:
Arti Dua ~ Encinitas, CA
adua@laga-handbags.com
Artillia Marcellous ~ Dove Canyon, CA
razmatazz@sbcglobal.net
Brandy Dominguez ~ Corona, CA
bdomfam7@aol.com
bdominguez@laga-handbags.com
Brandy van Zitter ~ El Segundo, CA
brandy0518@yahoo.com
Cathy Lovato ~ San Clemente, CA
clovato@laga-handbags.com
Evelyn Bailey ~ Yorba Linda, CA
ebailey64@yahoo.com
Jessica Goacher ~ Aliso Viejo, CA
jgoacher@laga-handbags.com
Karen Watkins ~ Dana Point, CA
ka.watkins@cox.net
kwatkins@laga-handbags.com
Kelly Carter ~ Lakewood, CA
kelly.carter10@yahoo.com
Kimberly Mead ~ Buena Park, CA
kmead@laga-handbags.com
Kristan Hinman ~ Orange, CA
khinman@laga-handbags.com
Lillian Bamba ~ La Mirada, CA
lillianschc@sbcglobal.net
Linda Puccinelli & Deb Williams ~ Burr Ridge, IL
tlkkn8975@aol.com
lpuccinelli@laga-handbags.com
Louise Bauwin ~ Fullerton, CA
loesb@sbcglobal.net
Maggie Mora ~ Orange, CA
mmora@laga-handbags.com
Mary Ann Vorndran ~ Oceanside, CA
mvorndran@acmclaims.com
mvorndran@laga-handbags.com
Melissa Holaday ~ Mission Viejo, CA
mholaday@laga-handbags.com
Mia Barone ~ Irvine, CA
rsbmrb1@aol.com
mbarone@laga-handbags.com
Pam Starr ~ Las Vegas, NV
pstarr@laga-handbags.com
Paula Quick ~ Richmond, VA
pnqt@aol.com
pquick@laga-handbags.com
Rodney & Desiree Thomas ~ Diamond Bar, CA
rthomas@loansdirectcorp.com
dthomas@laga-handbags.com
Robin Hoy ~ Cranford, NJ
crhoy@comcastnet.
rhoy@laga-handbags.com
Robin Mitrani ~ Centereach, NY
rlmitrani@yahoo.com
rmitrani@laga-handbags.com
Stephanie Kimble ~ Bowie, MD
kimble53103@yahoo.com
skimble@laga-handbags.com
Sue Schmidt ~ Irvine, CA
sueschmidt86@hotmail.com
sschmidt@laga-handbags.com
Tricia Guerrero ~ Harbor City, CA
tiguerr16@aol.com
tguerrero@laga-handbags.com
If you do not see your city listed above, you might want to contact us (info@laga-handbags.com) and find out how you can join our Laga team...
And please be sure to visit our website at www.laga-handbags.com to read all about the work we are doing for tsunami survivors in Indonesia~
We look forward to hearing from you!
Laga Lady
Beautiful handmade handbags made by tsunami survivors~
Here is a recent article that was written about Laga handmade handbags that I think is really great... it was eloquently written in the OC Metro Magazine:
Tsunami relief in a bag
Laga handbags are made by those hit hardest by the 2004 tsunami.
By Julissa McKinnon
Gucci. Louis Vuitton. Dooney & Bourke. Who doesn’t know the “who’s who” of the handbag world? From runways to malls to flea markets, the elite designer labels are everywhere, along with scores of their slick look-a-likes. Let’s face it. Everybody has one, or at least a pretty darn good knock-off.
So how does a girl distinguish herself and her handbag anymore in a purse world teeming with imposters?
The answer might lie in a purchase that translates into more than a status symbol. Perhaps in a handbag with some heart.
The next time you’re on the hunt for your next go-everywhere-companion, before dropping big bucks on a Coach clutch, consider a Laga bag, easily found at www.laga-handbags.com. “Laga” means beautiful in Acehnese, an Indonesian dialect spoken by the people of Banda Aceh, one of the villages hardest hit by the catastrophic tsunami of December 2004 that claimed more than 230,000 lives.
Hand-embroidered with intricate designs indigenous to Banda Aceh, it’s no gimmick when Roy and Louise van Broekhuizen, the Irvine couple who started Laga Designs, say the bags are “one of a kind.”
“This art has been passed down from generation to generation. It’s been in their culture many, many years and for the first time ever the world is able to see it,” says Louise van Broekhuizen, standing in a living room stacked high with the Indonesian handiwork.
What started as a tsunami relief mission by Louise and Roy ended up evolving into a full-fledged business. Because when authorities declared the first wave of emergency aid in Banda Aceh over, and volunteers started streaming home, the van Broekhuizens found they couldn’t walk away.
After helping people rebuild their homes for a year, the van Broekhuizens no longer believed a solution lay in giving people money or possessions. What people need is employment, they said.
“After the tsunami, people didn’t have much hope, many had lost family members,” Louise says. “Now when you see them working and getting involved in something, you see hope in their faces, and smiles coming back. They are just starting to recover.”
The goal, Louise said, is to grow the business to employ 1,200 Acenese women. In August 2005 she started with 12, and the count is now at about 120 workers.
Roy and Louise both quit their jobs in the mortgage business to pursue Laga full time. Currently all Laga proceeds go to funding the business overhead and paying the wages of the 100-plus workers and managers. Meanwhile, the van Broekhuizens are subsisting on savings, but hope that in the future the business might thrive enough for them to draw a salary too.
When Roy looks around his home, essentially a makeshift purse warehouse, he shakes his head.
“I never wanted to get into a business with inventory,” he says. “Either you buy too much, or you don’t buy enough. Now we’re in a spot where we bought way too much,” he said, adding that the couple is soon expecting a 40-foot container shipment with 4,000 more bags.
“But the handbags found us, they have their own feet. God directed them to us,” Roy says with a shrug and his ever-present smile.
Roy said his dream is to take the Laga bags to the “Oprah” show. Meanwhile, Louise fantasizes about any celebrity adopting their cause.
In the meantime, they work to grow the business the old-fashioned way. Beyond home parties regularly put on by about 20 Laga consultants, and the occasional art show or auction, Laga is selling small but steady quantities to a few local boutiques — Razmatazz in Dove Canyon, and d’Arte Connection in three L.A. County locations: El Segundo, Downey and Huntington Park.
Soon Roy and Louise plan to pitch the handbags to bigger department stores. So far they’ve propositioned Nordstrom.
In addition to helping strangers in great need, Louise said Laga is building bridges between two formerly isolated cultures – the Indonesian, predominantly Muslim, people and Americans.
“We stereotype them as terrorists and they think of us as evil because that’s what they’ve been taught,” she says. “One of the biggest changes I’ve seen is they’ve come to realize Western people do care about them. And we both see we can have a relationship, we can be friends. When
we stop looking so much at religion you start seeing each other as human beings.” OCM
Hope you enjoyed this!
Laga Lady
New series of fashionable handbags are available at CouponAlbum site....
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