AURA QUE in Fairtrade Supporters Booklet for hometown Holmfirth, West Yorkshire

Growing up in Holmfirth, in West Yorkshire, may be a sharp contrast to the chaos of Kathmandu and the city brights of London, but I have been lucky to have much support from not only friends and family at home, but local businesses and mentors who have helped me establish and develop my business over the years.

So I am realy pleased to be part of the Holme Valley Fairtrade Supporters Group brochure which promotes local businesses, including AURA QUE but also promoting our fairtrade friends and other local businesses:

Fair & Funky, who provide fantastic creative and educational workshops for community groups and children across West Yorkshire, promoting fairtrade and recycling ethos.  https://twitter.com/fair_funky

Bolling Coffee who produce Grumpy Mule Fairtrade coffee from beans sourced from fair trade and small cooperative farming units far and wide. https://twitter.com/GrumpyMule

and the Fair Traders Cooperative, a local boutique for food, fashion and gifts from fairtrade sources, or recycled concepts or local companies - they even stock AURA QUE products! https://twitter.com/FairTradersCoop

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Buy Fair Trade for 2013 and support producers in developing countries like Nepal!!

Fair Trade Fortnight is upon us for 2013!! Please support by promoting the fair trade message and buying fair trade products that help give producers and farmers in developing countries a fair wage for their work, allowing them to support their families for a better future!

This short video by Fair Trader Foundation UK describes what fair trade is and how you can do your bit to help!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8vlbXDOXUU&feature=player_embedded&noredirect=1

See the full gallery on Posterous

Here at AURA QUE, we have launched a small Twitter competition where you can follow and retweet with a hashtag for #fairtradefortnight to win one of our popular TARA Hobo's in Grey or Black Leather with handknitted banana yarn fibre! Winner to be picked by Sunday 3rd March 2013 from all new followers!

See our twitter feed: http://twitter.com/auraque

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From first sample to fairly traded production - LILA Handbag

With Fairtrade Fortnight just around the corner, I wanted to show the time and effort that goes into producing each AURA QUE design.  With the initial designs put together in the UK, I then work with Kumar in the sampling unit at the leather factory in Kathmandu, to get the pattern correct, make changes and develop the bags into the final samples.

Here you can see Kumar working on the initial idea for LILA - our large weekender handbag - we work on the patterns together, making changes as we go along.  This way, we can make sure the proportions are correct and the look is as desired.  We also check that the making process is possible for a production, with minimal quality control issues and challenges without compromising on the design.

LILA weekender is available with handknitted banana yarn panels or all in leather, currently priced at £95 from our AURA QUE online boutique - click here: http://shop.auraque.com/products

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WFTO reports about fair trade producer group in Nepal!

Article on the World Fair Trade Organisation WFTO website about one of our producer groups Kumbeshwar Technical School who handknit all our banana yarn scarves and accessories

http://www.wfto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1898&Itemid=314

Article as found on WFTO website:

“Equal Opportunity for All” at the Kumbeshwar Technical School (KTS), Nepal

13 February 2013

The history of Kumbeshwar Technical School (KTS) and its relationship with the local community dates back to 1983 when Siddhi Bahadur Khadgi, Founder Chairman, discovered a certain group of people living in unhealthy and poor conditions on the north side of the Kumbeshwar temple in Patan, Nepal. Referred to as the untouchables or “Podee” in Nepali, they were classified under the lowest ranking caste, also known as Sudra. Due to such social discrimination, they were often shunned and considered as bad luck by the general population. Their role in the community is to clean the streets of Patan before dawn when people are still asleep. It is believed that any person who caught a glimpse of the “Podees” would face immediate bad luck. Fellow country man Kiran Khadgi was eager to help this marginalized group. Khadgi studied how to work with “podees” in order to help them. He and his family took the challenge by first establishing a day care center for children and offering them washing facilities, clothes and food. Their work was soon appreciated and supported by the Douglas Memorial Old Missionary Evangelism, who helped the family organize a 6-month adult literacy program. Following the adult literacy program, the adults were asked about what they would like to be taught as a life-skill. Their unanimous decision was to learn hand knitting and carpet weaving. Therefore, the Khadgi family opened the doors of their home, which served as a training center. With help from foreign volunteers, they started to develop design and partnerships with Fair Trade Organizations and export their handicrafts in 1985. Please see link to read rest of the article...

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Happy Valentines Day from AURA QUE!!

Wishing you all a Happy Valentines Day from AURA QUE!

Here is a cute heart felted purse from one of our suppliers!

Even in Kathmandu, gifts of flowers, chocolates and musical cards are given to loved ones to celebrate the western tradition of Valentines Day!

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Ten years on from my first visit to Nepal!

Well how is this to make me feel old? Its ten years this month since I first lived in Nepal for five months before art college in 2003.  I was based in the Terai southern region of the country, in a rural village with two other English girls, Kate and Hannah, teaching conversational English classes at the local school!

That was when I realised that I loved the people and the country Nepal, but teaching languages was not my calling! Especially with classes of up to 60 kids! We managed to have fun doing various word games, making activities, outdoor games and English conversation, to liven up the kids' school day - as in rural government schools, education and learning generally consisted of chanting phrases unfortunately.

Anyway, here are some pictures I have dug out from that trip, in the school and at the Nepali family house we lodged in the local area. Brought back lots of good memories for me!!

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Making our patchwork leather bags to minimise our leather wastage!

Here is on of our producers, Bagarwati in the factory, placing our leather patchwork pieces together in our diamond pattern for our current range of leather bags. 

Some times it is hard to find uses for all the smaller pieces of leather after cutting out all pieces, so it is great to work with these on these patchwork designs!

ESTA Satchel - priced at £59

ALINA Tote with inside zip closure - priced at £69

SHANTI Clutch with detachable braided leather strap - priced at £39

MENKU Handbag with zip closure - priced at £59

Its like a puzzle getting the right colours in the right order for the pattern! We also used some leftover scraps of a lovely dark gold leather we found, to jazz up our black leather versions!

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Our sample maker Kumar wears our VELA Neck Scarf in Nepali winter!

Kumar, who helps me with all leather samples, pictured here in our geometric patterned VELA Neck scarf - keeping him warm from the Nepali winter, which is supposed to be even colder this year!

Our VELA Neckscarves are reduced from £29 to £22 for our SALE - check out our online boutique:

http://shop.auraque.com/products

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AURA QUE at FORMS Boutique in Camden, North London

For this season, AURA QUE is now stocked at Forms in Camden, North London. A lovely boutique in Camden Lock, our jacquard/leather handbags and accessories have been placed along side lots of other lovely gifts and products! See the pictures below in store....

Founded in 2011 December, FORMS is a North London based lifestyle/culture shop offering accessories, homeware and stationery from undiscovered, classic and contemporary labels. All products are sourced around the world - from UK to the unexplored corners of the Japan. We hope you can find something special in the shop.

Forms in open Mon 11-6pm, and Weds to Sun 11-6pm

FORMS, Camden Town, Unit 16 Camden Lock Place, NW1 8AS London

Go visit!

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Celebrating World Children's Day in Nepal at Kumbeshwar's School

World Children's Day is celebrated internationally in over 100 countries, established by the UN General Assembly in 1954 to celebrate children and promoting access to an education. It is meant to promote childhood, which can only be a good thing!

The Nepali primary school in Patan, supported by Kumbeshwar Technical School (our fantastic knit producer) celebrated Children's Day in September (some countries have different dates, but still a great reason to celebrate!).  All the children from nursery to Class 6 were involved in the festivities, with a program of poem competitions, quiz contest (on fair trade of course...) and all children were encouraged to perform!

Shell Roti snacks kept the kids happy, and even some of the youngest performers were rewarded for their efforts!

Kumbeshwar Technical School also awarded size recent graduates who were top of their class in their new secondary school, to encourage them!

Great stuff Kumbeshwar, and Happy World Children's Day!

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