From Disaster Comes Opportunity

The van Broekhuizen’s handbag business offers economic opportunity for Indonesian tsunami victims.

Laga Designs International, Inc., is a business with a mission. When Roy van Broekhuizen went to Indonesia as a relief coordinator after the 2004 tsunami, he saw scene after scene of total devastation-homes wiped out, schools and businesses flattened, and families fractured. But it was the survivors who affected him the most. “You would see them sitting on the floor, just traumatized. They had lost everyone and everything,” van Broekhuizen says.

When van Broekhuizen’s contract with his church’s relief service ended in February 2006, he and his wife, Louise, vowed that they would do anything they could to help the survivors of Banda Aceh, Indonesia, and the local economy. They found their solution in the one-of-a-kind embroidered handbags that Louise had purchased in the village. Encouraged by the interest that Louise’s bags were generating in their hometown of Santa Ana, California, the van Broekhuizens held a party at their condo and sold $2,000 worth of bags.

Soon, the van Broekhuizens were receiving via airmail up to 11 boxes of handbags at a cost of $250 per box. The couple brought in their first 40-foot shipping container of bags in August 2007. They have on hand as many as 6,000 handbags and 33 consultants to sell the bags through home parties. Laga handbags are also sold in area boutiques, at booths at accessories trade shows, and on e-retailer eBags.com. “We’re showing people something they’ve never seen before,” says Roy. “Each handbag is a piece of art.”

One hundred percent of Laga Designs’ profits go back into the business, including renting production facilities overseas and paying wages for 150 tsunami survivors in Banda Aceh. Laga Designs’ products, which also include belts, wallets, and travel duffels, incorporate native patterns passed down from generation to generation. Even the name of the van Broekhuizen’s company is indigenous–Laga is a variation of the Acehnese word for beautiful–and each product line is given an Acehnese word.

The van Broekhuizens are trying to balance their explosive growth with their current inventory. “We don’t know what’s going to sell, so we have to juggle all the different styles, colors, and sizes,” Roy explains. With a supplier half a world away, filling orders quickly can present challenges. For example, with eBags, the couple has to ship an order within 48 hours. “We’re trying to get warehouse space. We can’t work out of our garage anymore.”
The growing pains are worth it, according to Roy. “To see those women now, how they are so empowered–it gives us all hope. We do our little part to help people, and it makes us realize how lucky we are.”

Originally published June 2008. Reprinted by permission, uschamber.com, June 2008. Copyright©2008, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

June 4th, 2008, 9:30 am · Post a Comment · posted by Hang Nguyen

An Irvine company’s handbags may land in the Smithsonian Christmas and/or jewelry catalogs.

Laga Designs International’s five purses and a wallet have passed a pre-selection stage for the catalogs, said Danette Nguyen, assistant buyer for the Smithsonian catalogs.

The products in the Smithsonian catalogs are picked because they relate in some way to its museums’ collections. That allows it to keep its non-profit status.

The Laga bags will relate to the Asian ethological collection at the National Museum of Natural History. The collection comprises of 30,000 objects from Southeast Asia, Nguyen said.

The Laga bags are handmade by more than 150 tsunami victims in Aceh, the Indonesian province that was destroyed by the earthquake and subsequent tidal waves on Dec. 26, 2004.

The nearly three-year-old Laga business allows founder Roy Van Broekhuizen, pictured above, to reconnect with his childhood. His family, part Dutch and part Indonesian, fled Indonesia when he was 9.

A Smithsonsian buyer came across the Laga handbags at a trade show in Las Vegas.

The institution plans to sell these pieces from $30 to $140, slightly higher than what they go for on Laga’s Web site. The Harapan “Hope” purse, pictured right, which Laga retails from $130 to $190, is one of the bags Smithsonian is considering.

The local company will find out in about two to three weeks whether it made the final cut for the Smithsonsian catalogs that arrive in homes in October, Nguyen said.

(Register photo of Van Broekhuizen and his wife Louise with their bags. Other photo from Laga Web site.)

Check out this video of our manager Hana using the single head, treadle Singer sewing machine making one of our Laga handbags:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tcy2dse68M&feature=related

Here is video from Louise’s trip to Aceh province, where our Laga handbags are made by our Acehnese friends:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzwkmpsmKbo&feature=related

Laga Designs, One of a Kind Handbags

By jodi | March 26, 2008 | Filed Under Handbags
 (2 bag votes, average: 5 out of 5)
From the first time I saw these bags, I was in love.  Following the devastation of the tsunami of December 2004, in Indonesia, Laga Handbags was founded.  Laga’s mission is to provide economic opportunities for Acehnese artisans, mostly women, through the manufacture of beautiful handbags using traditional embroidery designs.  The wonderfully creative patterns are native to the province of Aceh, passed down from generation to generation, derived from traditional patterns and designs.  Whether you are looking for a clutch, tote, shoulder bag or cosmetic case, Laga Designs will have the perfect piece for you.  Not only are they unique, but purchasing these beautiful bags helps people in a region that is completely rebuilding. 
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One Response to “Laga Designs, One of a Kind Handbags”§ 


Lorri Galloway on March 27th, 2008 12:28 pm
“I have purchased several of these bags. I also have Bottega, Gucci, Coach, YSL, Prada, Louis Vuitton, etc. I have received more compliments on my Laga bags than all my other bags combined. It’s the, “OMG, where did you find that? I love it”. And the best thing is that it helps the unfortunate victims of the devastating tsunami.”

After coming home from Atlanta, GA, Louise and I came down with the flu and are recuperating, hopefully just in time for our next show in Las Vegas.

We are going with great expectations. A number of people have emailed us that they are going to meet us there; we will be in corner booth # 758. If you are able, please don’t forget to stop by and say hello. It is for the “trade” only, but we do have some extra passes so call if you’re interested.

We will also meet with our Nevada Laga Consultant, Pam Starr; we are looking forward to seeing her.

We anticipate a great show…

Roy van Broekhuizen

All arrangements have been finalized for Laga Designs’ participation in internationally-known fashion industry trade venue “Accessories the Show” at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York January 6-8 which aims to prove successful in its introduction to not only the East Coast but also the European fashion accessories market.

Since the incorporation of Laga Designs International Inc. just over one year ago, in an effort to create long-term employment and empowerment to tsunami survivors by creating hand-guided embroidered handbags in the province of Aceh, Sumatera, Indonesia, the company has already met its short-term goal of implementing an In-Home Party Plan Program; its sales force currently is 30 strong.

Other brand representation at ATS-NY includes Chinese Laundry, Fossil, Global Elements, Hip Chic Couture, Lacoste, Little Earth, and many, many more.

Combining its Party Plan and Retail segments, Laga currently has representation in 20 states nationwide, as well as in Indonesia and Australia.

If you are a retailer interested in more information about our wholesale program and/or wholesale pricing, please contact LAGA DESIGNS INTERNATIONAL INC. at: info@laga-handbags.com.

Laga Handbags Manager Demonstrates Intricate Hand-guided Embroidery Technique at ATS-Las Vegas in August 2007.

To view the video, CLICK HERE!

AIMS offers complete order and production processing system to Laga Handbags.

SANTA ANA, Calif. – January 2, 2008 – AIMS, Apparel Information Management System, an industry leader in apparel software since 1984, offers their state of the art software to Laga Handbags, the unique and stylish, Irvine handbag company.

Henry Cherner from AIMS met with Laga Co-Founders Roy & Louise Van Broekhuizen to assist them with their new handbag business after reading their story in the Orange County Register.

The Van Broekhuizens started Laga Handbags as a continuation of tsunami relief. Commissioned by Saddleback Church in Lake Forest Calif., pastor is Dr. Rick Warren, author of best seller “The Purpose Driven Life” as tsunami relief coordinator, Van Broekhuizen and wife Louise, formed Laga Designs International, Inc.

Laga Handbags are made by tsunami survivors of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. The tsunami devastated Aceh province on December 26, 2004. They started their training center and handbag factory with 12 young women who have lost many of their family members and friends, currently the number has grown to 150, through the tremendous response and support of Orange County, where they reside.

Laga has become a more efficient handbag company by using AIMS features such as order processing, inventory management, production, importing, and accounting. Laga is more responsive to its customer’s needs using AIMS, which provides the inventory and production information they need when dealing with customers.

AIMS is the most user friendly software found compared to other systems, and has all of the features needed for their growing handbag company. Our manual way of handling orders was primitive, time consuming and error prone, as our company grew, it was obvious that our previous methods would not be able to meet the specialized needs of our unique handbag company.”

Laga has been able to get a better handle on their inventory and production needs and with use of AIMS, resulted with an increase in the bottom line.

For more information visit http://www.aimstsi.com/ and www.laga-handbags.com.

About AIMS
AIMS is an industry leader in apparel software since 1984. Apparel Information Management System, AIMS, is a complete order and production processing system for apparel manufacturers, wholesalers, importers and distributors offering integrated products for EDI, QuickBooks GL, web-based order processing, retail shopping carts, web development and more. AIMS is used by educational institutions including Cal Poly Pomona, Los Angeles Trade Technical College, California Design College, Saddleback College and Fashion Business Inc. where it has been integrated as a core part of their business curriculums for apparel.

About Laga Handbags
Laga Handbags is committed to providing employment and hope for victims of disaster. Extending far beyond the survivors of the tsunami, Laga ultimately touches generations of families and communities. Its home party network of Laga Consultants are seeking to grow in the United States for betterment of humanity.

Contact:
Roy Van Broekhuizen
714-623-3671
roy@laga-handbags.com

World Vision Indonesia Tsunami Response:

Final Report Dec 2004 - Dec 2007

The December 2004 earthquake and tsunami was an unprecedented disaster in its size and scale. Indonesia’s Aceh province, which suffered from three decades of civilian conflict, was most affected because of its proximity to the earthquake’s epicenter and its large coastal population. A year after the event, the Indonesian government estimated that 129,775 people had died, 38,786 were missing (presumed dead) and more than 500,000 people were displaced.

World Vision Indonesia Tsunami Response: Final Report Dec 2004 - Dec 2007The December 2004 earthquake and tsunami was an unprecedented disaster in its size and scale. Indonesia’s Aceh province, which suffered from three decades of civilian conflict, was most affected because of its proximity to the earthquake’s epicenter and its large coastal population. A year after the event, the Indonesian government estimated that 129,775 people had died, 38,786 were missing (presumed dead) and more than 500,000 people were displaced. More than 25% of households lost at least one family member. Within the two adjoining districts of Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar, nearly 60% of the fatalities and missing were female and one-third under 17yo. Many of the deceased were heads of households or primary wage earners and this tremendous loss of life had a devastating impact on livelihoods. For these households, the recovery has been a struggle, but thanks to their inner strength and the generosity of neighbors, strangers, aid agencies and donors, they are moving forward to rebuild their lives and livelihoods. World Vision launched a massive relief and recovery effort following the disaster. This final report outlines the World Vision Indonesia Tsunami Response programme over the past three years and its impact on the recovery of households.

Background

Program Goal
To support disaster affected communities in developing safe and sustainable environments where children thrive. World Vision designed a three year program to meet the recovery needs of affected communities and to support their longer-term rehabilitation. The program encompassed seven integrated sectors: Shelter & Infrastructure; Economic Recovery, Education; Health; Water and Sanitation, Child Protection and Advocacy.

The implementation of the program was conducted in three phases;

THANK YOU! 

We want to say thank you to all of our Laga Consultants who took time out of your busy days to join us for our Annual Laga Christmas Dinner~ it was such a joy to have you all as our guests tonight and we are so encouraged by all your involvement with us this past year!  As we went around the table and each of you recalled for us how and why you chose to be involved with Laga, I was so touched to hear such love and passion among our team. It is a humbling experience for me to be reminded of what all you have given of your time and, most importantly, of yourselves to help the people of Aceh in such a tangible way. It brought my heart such joy to sit and listen to each of you tell your stories of what your involvement means to you personally~ You are an amazing group of people and we are ever so grateful for you!

GUEST SPEAKER

Our special guest speaker was Tom Patty, former President and CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day Advertising Agency, one of the most prestigious marketing firms in the nation. With Tom at the helm, he and his team were responsible for putting several small companies on the map. You might have heard of some of them: Nike, PepsiCo, Apple, Nissan and Anheuser Busch. Now a SCORE (Service Corp of Retired Executives) counselor, Tom has caught the Laga vision and heart. He has recently agreed to invest his time and energy into helping Laga develop to its fullest potential. Not only is his expertise in sales and marketing invaluable, he has a very important circle of influence many of whom could very easily take Laga to the next level and beyond… however high we want to take it. 

Tom expressed his reasons for wanting to be involved with Laga, this project being much different from other small businesses he’s helped get off the ground. He shared that, for the first time, he feels he is helping more than just a person build a business: he is helping a business to help others; from helping build hope and a future for the people in the tsunami ravaged area of Indonesia to creating an income for our Laga Consultants to giving women buying Laga bags the opportunity to do their part in giving back. It was gratifying to hear, from a long-time professional in the sales and marketing industry, that he believes Laga’s mission has the potential to make a difference in the hearts and lives of many around the world.

LAGA STATISTICS 

I shared some statistics about where we are today: 

We currently have 30 consultants, representing 9 states:California, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. 

We have 24 retailers, representing 15 states:Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachussets, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.   

Total Laga representation reflects 20 states and 3 countries (Australia, Indonesia and USA). 

WINNERS

We recognized some very special people tonight… for the Outstanding Achievement in their role of Laga Consultant for the year 2007:

HIGHEST SALES FIRST PLACE
BRANDY DOMINGUEZ

HIGHEST SALES SECOND PLACE
KRISTAN HINMAN

HIGHEST SALES THIRD PLACE
MAGGIE MORA

HIGHEST SALES IN A SINGLE EVENT
RODNEY & DESIREE THOMAS

We would like to thank you all for doing your part in helping provide a better future for the tsunami survivors we serve. You are truly a remarkable team and we are so fortunate to have you!

GOALS

We have set high goals for ourselves in 2008 and will be working hard to meet them. Some of those goals include:

     Meeting the needs of at least 1200 tsunami survivors
     Forming additional training centers throughout Aceh
     Obtaining an office/showroom/fulfillment warehouse in the OC
     Increasing our consultant base

In order to fulfill our goals, there are several things we will be concentrating on in 2008: 

     1. Increase online sales with search engine optimization (SEO)
     2. Aggressive consultant recruitment
     3. Teleconference training, motivation and support for our consultants throughout the country, including Goal-Setting and New Business Development strategies and much more
     4. New and ongoing promotional incentives 

You, our amazing Consultants, are our core, our heart, and we are dedicated to developing you. We don’t believe it is an accident that you are on the first rung of the Laga ladder. We believe that you are there for a reason. So get ready to be used! Because only with your help, and the help of many other potential consultants to come onboard with Laga in the next 12 or 13 months, will we be able to reach the goal of ONE MILLION IN 2008!

TEAM SPOTLIGHT

We are proud to announce that our team is now 30 strong!
We would like to introduce, and please help us welcome, the newest member of our team:

Megan Helgeson 
Megan will be representing Laga in
Orange, California

” W e   a r e   s o   h a p p y   t o   h a v e   y o u   o n b o a r d ! “

Roy and Louise van Broekhuizen
and the entire Laga Team!

Stay tuned for more!!!