New Handbag Manufacturer Shows Plenty of Heart

With the coming of spring, our minds naturally turn to fresh new looks and fashion trends. We want to know what’s hot and what’s not, and we put time aside to find the right accessories and handbags to match each new outfit. Fortunately, there’s a new handbag manufacturer in town – Laga Designs International — that recently hit the market running with two lines of quality handmade handbags and one travel bag line from Indonesia that offer as much eye appeal as they do form and functionality.

Buyers everywhere have begun to snap up the handbags for reasons beyond fashion sense. First, with more than 30 handbag and travel bag styles to choose from, the lines offer lots of options. More important, however, is that a generous portion of the proceeds from every handbag purchase goes to help the tsunami victims of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. The latter is a story of hope, help and healing for the people of Banda Aceh, and a tale of a path less taken for Laga founders Roy and Louise Van Broekhuizen.

What started as a short-term assignment to bring volunteer teams and distribute funds donated by members of Saddleback church to those hit hardest by the devastating tsunami event a month earlier turned into an ongoing personal effort for Roy and Louise, who created Laga Designs International as a way to continue helping the victims of the tsunami-ravaged country. It was following their initial visits to Banda Aceh when the Van Broekhuizens decided that manufacturing high-quality handbags could help them help the tsunami victims on an ongoing basis.

“We began manufacturing handbags after I had made several visits the tsunami-torn area of Banda Aceh,” explains Roy. “I was asked by Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA, to lead volunteer efforts in Banda Aceh in January 2005. We didn’t know the trip would put us on a path to a lifelong mission, but it has become our personal goal to help the people hardest hit by the tsunami to rebuild their lives.”

The Van Broekhuizens put their money where their mouths are, making regular visits to the Banda Aceh area to work side by side with the locals to build homes and care for the sick and needy. Currently, Roy and Louise are leaving for Indonesia November 13, 2009, this will be Roy’s 21st trip since the tsunami December 26, 2004, lending much needed helping hands to the Indonesian people.

“The devastation left behind in the region of Banda Aceh continues to be heart breaking,” says Louise, who finds it difficult to hold back tears whenever she speaks about the people there. “They are still rebuilding now and still need a lot of help. In our manufacturing center, we started with 12 women August 2006, today we are supporting 300+. We want to help provide a new life for the people of Banda Aceh. We cannot give them back the loved ones they lost, but we can do a lot to help them rebuild their area’s infrastructure as we help them rebuild their lives and livelihoods.”

It takes almost a full day to make an average size handbag, almost a week for the large travel bags, the bags are made on a single pedal treadle machine as shown here by our manager from Indonesia, Hana, when we flew her to the US and had her demonstrate at AccessoriesTheShow in Las Vegas.

To read the whole story behind the creation of the company and how Roy and Louise hope to change the world of the tsunami victims … one handbag at a time … visit Laga Handbags. Learn:

Who makes all the handbags and why – All Laga Design International handbags are handmade by the local artisans of Indonesia. It is the hope of Roy and Louise that the memory of what happened to these gentle people on December 26, 2004 will remain in the hearts of those around the world so that work to rebuild their lives can continue.

More about Roy and Louise van Broekhuizen – A former VP of International Business Development for Online Trading Academy and owner of several businesses, Roy has partnered with wife Louise to create a truly unique and charitable handbag company.

What’s so different about Laga Designs International – Aside from manufacturing beautiful, high-quality, one-of-a-kind handmade handbags, the company was formed to provide employment and income for those who lost their livelihoods as a result of the tsunami disaster. By hiring and training local victims, Roy and Louise hope to help the people of Indonesia restore their economy and infrastructure.

To learn how a simple handbag purchase can help support the victims of the tsunami and to view Laga’s product lines, visit Laga Handbags. To schedule an interview with Roy and/or Louise, contact Sandra McGinty at 949.291.2265.

About Roy and Louise Van Broekhuizen

Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1948, Roy fled Indonesia in 1957 to Holland, immigrated to the US (Oregon City, OR) in 1961 and 1970 on a soccer scholarship from Lewis & Clark College. Simultaneously, he pursued entry into the music business as a professional guitar player. His musical dreams were realized in the early 1970s, as he opened for Ike and Tina Turner, and opened for Jimi Hendrix and other groups. He then moved on to the business world, starting a number of import/export/international trade businesses (exporting American products to SE Asia), as well as a 300-seat restaurant, a catering business, a construction company, and a mortgage business in Southern California. Managing a number of large operations, Roy became one of the first day traders in the world in June 1997, eventually became VP of Sales and Marketing for Online Trading Academy, a company specializing in teaching how to trade for a living.

Louise Van Broekhuizen was born in The Hague, Holland, in 1955, immigrating to Pasadena, Calif. in 1961, where she eventually attended Torrance High School and El Camino Community College. She co-owned a variety of businesses and became involved in the mortgage loan business, where she was responsible for processing and underwriting mortgage loans for her own mortgage company (Harvest Mortgage Inc.) as well as DiTech, Consumer Portfolio Services and First Bank. Louise is a very organized, detailed and focused individual, traits that come in pretty handy working alongside Roy in the tsunami area of Banda Aceh, importing handbags and other products from Indonesia.

About Laga Designs International Handbags

Laga offers two distinct styles of handbag, no two the same aside from quality manufacturing practices. techniques. Delightfully distinctive, Laga handbags offer something for everyone in style and functionality. Laga is currently accepting applications from those interested in becoming Laga Handbag Consultants on a part-time or full-time basis here in the United States. Laga is also looking for party hostesses, distributors, and volunteers to assist with day-to-day operations of the company. For more information or to apply, please contact Roy or Louise by phone at 714.623.3671 or 714.623.3672.

For more information, contact:

Sandra K. McGinty, Public Relations Director

949.291.2265

We were pleasantly surprised to find that the Department of Tourism in Indonesia is featuring Laga Handbags in an effort to increase the tourism in Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia!

Check out this website link:
http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/video/aceh+bags/

We also invite you to become a fan of Laga Handbags on Facebook!
Click here to join us and get all the latest updates and information!

How would you like to carry a handbag, purse, wallet, or tote autographed and once owned by a celebrity? Or perhaps you just love a good designer bag. If so, read on…

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. This is the reason our organization, Friends of Child Advocacy, has asked celebrities across the nation to open their closets and look in their hearts. With the generous donations of actors, news anchors, musicians, writers, and other celebs, we will be hosting an online auction in April that promises to be quite remarkable!

All proceeds from the handbag auction will benefit the  Kane County Child Advocacy Center located in Geneva, Illinois.

Laga Handbags was asked to participate in this auction, along with other celebrities and their handbags, such as Jimmy Choo, Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade and many, many more! Sit back and travel through their site to learn more about this organization and enjoy viewing the bags they will be offering (click here and scroll down to the bottom to see Laga’s handbag).

We were proud to be asked to join many other celebrities in an effort to help prevent child abuse. And we look forward to being involved in many more such events in the future!

PS: Check out the other links on which Laga Handbags have been featured lately:

too busy gals: Laga OPEN HOUSE
By Jessica and Alexis
Everyone attending will have the opportunity to purchase their Laga handbags at a 70% discount from full retail. For example, an Abadi, which has a full retail value of $144.95 and normally sells at a home show for $119 would cost you …

suede leather bag | salusinc.com
By Will
One such company is Laga Handbags, which helps women who were survivors of the tragic tsunami of 2006 in Sumatra, Indonesia. The women workers of Indonesia are able to learn skills for a lifetime while providing a valuable …

Fashion-Network.com Featured Videos

Handbags of Hope…..: Laga Handbags in BoHo magazine
Friday, January 23, 2009
Laga Handbags
I was in Borders yesterday (always a dangerous place) in search of Bead & Button magazine when a different one caught my eye. Mainly because instead of the usual high gloss paper, this magazine uses a …

Help those in Need with Charity Bags

Laga Handbags Combo

Another option to consider when buying an Indonesian handmade handbag is to shop for charity bags (or charity purses). Charity bags are made by those in Indonesia who need the money for daily food and supplies. Some companies in the United States offer to buy the handbags and resell them to Americans or through the Internet. A few companies will even train the workers and provide sewing and embroidery supplies to work with. One such company is Laga Handbags (online), which helps women who were survivors of the tragic tsunami of 2006 in Sumatra, Indonesia. The women workers of Indonesia are able to learn skills for a lifetime while providing a valuable service to handbag lovers.

When choosing a company for handmade handbags, research online to find companies that offer authentic Indonesian handbags, not replicas. The real handmade handbags are usually priced from 35 up to 399, depending on the style and size of the bag. Companies should provide detailed information about how and where the handbags are obtained, and where the company is located. Look for companies that are upfront about their procedures and customer policies.

A handmade handbag from Indonesia can also be a memorable surprise as a gift for Mother’s Day, Christmas, birthdays, or other occasions. The handbags are reliable and affordable, and the remarkable craftsmanship of Indonesian women makes them highly desirable in the fashion world. Go online today to find that perfect  for you!

Laga Handbags Combo

Turn Your Passion Into Profit

Roy Van Broekhuizen got a call from his church one day…head to Indonesia and help the tsunami victims any way you can.
Now Roy and his wife manage a successful business that keeps on giving to the people of Indonesia.
Read on to find out how Roy turned his passion for service into a successful business that still helps those in need.

After the Tsunami: Why I Started a Business in Indonesia

Dear friends:

After the tsunami hit Indonesia in December 2004, many of the survivors had no homes, food, or jobs. I couldn’t stand by and watch this suffering continue, so I sat down to devise a plan to try to ease the situation. I didn’t realize that this would create such a successful business that would not only help people rebuild their lives but allow us to travel the world at our leisure.

My wife Louise and I came up with the idea of employing local artisans in the small villages to make one-of-a-kind embroidered handbags that incorporated native patterns passed down from generation to generation which Louise would bring back to the States and sell to her friends.

Louise remained in the States while I was stuck in a number of different projects in Indonesia. Every trip home, I would bring back some boxes: two large boxes the first time, then five, then eleven, until in August 2006 we both realized that the demand had grown so much that we had to bring them in another way. That’s when Laga Designs International, Inc. officially launched and began growing at a rapid pace.

Early in 2007 The Orange County Register, the largest newspaper in Orange County, California, where we lived, called and said they would like to do a story on us which we agreed to. A few weeks later the story appeared. The phone started ringing at 6 a.m. at our condo office and I awoke to an inbox of over 921 emails and $3,000 worth of internet sales in the first hour of that day. One of the answering machine messages was that the newspaper put their story on the full first page and last page of the business section.

There was so much response, that Louise ended up going to Indonesia by herself, and I stayed in the office filling orders and running the whole operation. Needless to say, it was crazy, chaotic, frantic, and at the same time, it was fun. There are bags all over the place, in the garage, living room, and family room. Out of three bedrooms, two are used for offices, which now includes one full-time assistant, one part-time assistant, and five volunteers.

In August 2007 we brought our first 40-foot container from Indonesia to Orange County. All the Laga bags are being stored in the parking lot behind a building that is leased by a friend– who is not charging us for the space.

With the factories half a world away, filling orders quickly can present challenges. We started our own factory and training center two years ago with 12 young women, mostly in their 20’s who have lost family members and friends. Today we are proud and feel honored to help 150 survivors, mostly women, and co-op with three other factories to meet the demand. To see those women now, how they are so empowered gives us all hope. We do our little part to help people and make someone else happy and smile, it makes us realize how blessed and fortunate we are.

Roy Van Broekhuizen
For International Living
Editor’s Note: Start your own Import-Export business today and you could be as successful as Roy and Louise by this time next year.
Checkout International Living Import-Export kit

We’re excited to be participating again in the San Francisco International Gift Fair. We will be flying to SF a couple of days earlier, setup is on Friday February 6 and the show goes from February 7-10, 2009 held at the Moscone Center.Our pallet with shelving and our Laga handbags and accessories samples were shipped directly from Atlanta where we participated in the Atlanta Gift Fair.

For those of you in the trade (not open to the public), we will be in South Hall (SOMA) booth # 736, and hope to see you there.

If you have not read about the Laga story, please check it out here, http://www.laga-handbags.com/about.html

Any comments, recommendations or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Looking forward to meeting you at the show.

Dear friends:

For those of you who have not had an opportunity to see our Laga handbags online catalog, you can see it here,

Laga Handbags.

Let me know what you think.

For those of you in the trade (NOT open to the public):

We will be in booth #736 (South Hall) at the San Francisco International Gift Fair held at the Moscone Center in SF from February 7-10.
Then the next show will be AccessoriesTheShow February 16-18 at The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino at which we will be in booth #616; we hope to see you there!

Wishing you all a very successful and significant 2009!

Roy van Broekhuizen