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Smithsonian considering Irvine handbags for its catalogs
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An Irvine companys 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 wayto its museums collections. Thatallows itto keep its non-profit status.
The Lagabags willrelate 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.
» Read article in The Orange County Register
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Irwandi Yusuf, Escape Artist and Now Governor of Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, with Roy van Broekhuizen of Laga Designs International |
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We’re very excited that Roy was able to meet with Irwandi Yusuf, Escape Artist and Now Governor of Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia.
Thought you’d enjoy a photo.
Laga Handbags Recognized for Creating Post-Tsunami Business Opportunities
Irwandi Yusuf, Escape Artist and Now Governor of Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, with Roy van Broekhuizen, CEO of Laga Designs International, Inc. in
discussion about opportunities to add training centers to teach Acehnese to make Laga handbags.
» Read article in The Earth Times
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Irvine Chamber Business Connection, September 2007 |
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On December 26, 2004, one of the deadliest natural disasters in history struck off the western coast of Sumatra. The earthquake
and subsequent tsunamis reportedly killed over 285,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean. Banda Aceh was the closest major city to the
earthquake's epicenter.
In Santa Ana, California, daytrader Roy van Broekhuizen received a call from his church, asking if he would lead a team to Indonesia to help
with relief efforts. Crying over bodies, bandaging the injured and working with the local people to rebuild homes and schools, that first
trip to Banda Aceh changed Roy's life... |
OC Metro Magazine, July 2007 |
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Laga handbags are made by those hit hardest by the 2004 tsunami.
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...
» read more
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5,000 tsunami victims still live in emergency tents in Indonesia
Zeenews.com
Banda Aceh, July 04, 2007: At least 5,000 tsunami survivors in Aceh Jaya district still live in emergency tents after more than two years since
a deadly tsunami hit Aceh province, according to a local legislator.
"They, who have lost their homes in the disaster, were forced to set up emergency shelters as they could not stand waiting for houses to be built
by the Aceh and Nias Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR)," Mutia Anzib of the district legislative council of Aceh Jaya, said here today.
Aceh Jaya's tsunami survivors needed a total of 13,999 houses, but only 60 percent of them have been constructed by BRR, she said. In Aceh
province as a whole, BRR has completed 70 percent of the total number of houses to be constructed for tsunami survivors up to 2009.
In Aceh Jaya district, the December 2004 tsunami destroyed 13 villages and displaced around 1,636 people. The villagers needed to be relocated
to other areas as their former villages were flooded by sea water and mud.
An earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter Scale and a subsequent tsunami devastated Aceh province and Nias (North Sumatra on December 26, 2004,
killing at least 170,000 people and destroying most of the infrastructures. |
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Love’s In The Bag
by Lynn Armitage, Body Beautiful OC; Monday, July 02, 2007
It’s summertime, a whole new fashion season. And you’re probably looking for a nice purse, aren’t you? But before you settle on that
overpriced Gucci bag or the Coach clutch you really can’t afford, consider buying a Laga handbag (laga-handbags.com). Not just
because they’re stylish and beautiful. But because YOU have a heart....
Laga handbags are handmade by survivors of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. When you buy a Laga handbag, you are helping thousands of Indonesians rebuild their lives after
» Read article and post a comment
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Accessories Magazine, May 2007 |
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...intricate in design are Laga Handbags, which aid the ongoing tsunami relief efforts in Sumatra, Indonesia...
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Orders Pouring in for Tsunami Victims' Handbags
After a Register article on a fledgling Irvine business, nearly 900 e-mails flooded the owner's account.
By HANG NGUYEN; The Orange County Register
March, 2007 - Over the past month, Roy Van Broekhuizen has been feverishly trying to keep up with orders for his bags.
On Feb. 9, The Orange County Register published an article about Laga Designs International, Van Broekhuizen's fledgling Irvine business that
sells bags ...
» Read Update Article in the OC Register, 03/09/07
» Read Original Article in the OC Register, 02/09/07
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From the Fashion Fix Blog: Laga Bags - "Handbags Helping People"
Laga Handbags are not only beautiful, they're hand crafted by skilled artisans from Indonesia, victims of the 2004 tsunami disaster.
Roy van Broekhuizen and his wife, Louise, created the irvine-based company, Laga Designs International, specifically to create jobs for artisans
living in the villages in Banda Aceh. The name "laga" means "beautiful" in the Acehnese dialect...
» SqueezeOC Magazine Blog ; you can post comments!
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| Orange County Register, Feb. 2007 |
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Irvine World News, Feb./07 |
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Giving is in the bag
Roy and Louise Van Broekhuizen continue to help Indonesian tsunami survivors.
By HANG NGUYEN
The Orange County Register
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February, 2007 - Unlike many people, Roy Van Broekhuizen hasn't forgotten
about the survivors of the earthquake and tsunami that slammed Indonesia
two years ago.
Van Broekhuizen, 58, sells bags – $15 cosmetic totes to $300 travel bags. And his purses are handmade by tsunami victims in Aceh,
the Indonesian province that was destroyed by the earthquake and subsequent tidal waves on Dec. 26, 2004.
For now, his bag business is small. Van Broekhuizen and his wife, Louise, found...
» Read Article in the OC Register, 02/09/07
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Body Beautiful Magazine, February 2007 |
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Apparently, we made the August
BODY BEAUTIFUL Editor's Pick for
our beautiful handmade handbags! Be sure to scroll down to the end of the note.. and don't let the title fool you...we made the pick nonetheless!
Go, Laga! |
OC Woman
By Joni Ravenna, Parenting OC Magazine
November, 2006 - This month, many of Orange County’s nonprofit organizations will come together as they have since 1985 to celebrate National
Philanthropy Day (NPD), which honors the extraordinary people who contribute so generously to change lives and save lives and to make Orange
County a better place to live. And as usual, the room will be packed. The number of philanthropic organizations in OC rank among the highest
per capita...» Read Article
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New Handbag Manufacturer Shows Plenty of Heart
By Andhranews
May 13, 2006 - 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
portion of the proceeds from every handbag purchase goes to help the tsunami victims of Banda Aceh
(pronounced A - CHEY) in Sumatra, Indonesia. The latter is a story of hope, help and healing for the people
of Banda Aceh, and a tale of...
» Read Article
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New Lease On Life
By Vik Jolly, Orange County Register
SANTA ANA, April 2005 - Roy van Broekhuizen used to hunch daily over his computer to watch the gyrations of the stock market,
his stomach churning at losses. These days, he worries about losses of a different kind.
He cries at images of death and devastation that pop up on his screen. He pauses at gruesome pictures of swollen
dead bodies and blue body bags lining streets in Aceh, the Indonesian province that was devastated by a deadly
tsunami and earthquake on Dec. 26...
» Read article
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Dr. Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" sent us a wonderful letter.
