AURA QUE featured in Nepali newspaper: Republica

Many thanks to Sumina Karki for her write up about my work in Nepal, and CIndy Sin Yu Yau for her enthusiasm and help also!

See below:

http://myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=25806

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Anuradha Koirala, founder of MAITI Nepal, is the CNN Hero for 2010!!

Anuradha Koirala has been awarded the CNN Hero for 2010, in LA on Saturday.  She founded MAITI Nepal in 1993, aiming to help Nepalese women and children affected by domestic violence, trafficking and prostitution, working with over 12,000 individuals.  WIth this award, she was given $100,000 to help continue the work at MAITI! You can see the winning moment in this YouTube clip:

I think its inspiring to see a strong Nepalese woman, with such motivation and kindness, and it is great positive promotion for MAITI and Nepal!! Please see below for more information about MAITI Nepal:

"MAITI Nepal was born out of a crusade to protect Nepali girls and women from crimes like domestic violence, trafficking for flesh trade, child prostitution, child labor and various forms of exploitation and torture. A group of socially committed professionals like teachers, journalists and social workers together formed Maiti Nepal in 1993 to fight against all the social evils inflicted upon our female populace. Most of all, its special focus has always been on preventing trafficking for forced prostitution, rescuing flesh trade victims and rehabilitating them. This social organisation also actively works to find justice for the victimized lot of girls and women by engaging in criminal investigation and waging legal battles against the criminals. It has highlighted the trafficking issue with its strong advocacy from the local to national and international levels."

Please go to www.maitinepal.org

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Tihar Festival of Light - in Nepal

Tihar is a five day Nepalese festival which has been celebrated this week, beginning of November.  Two of these days incorporates the Hindu Festival of Deepavali (Divali), where one day is celebrated for goddess Laxmi and the other one is celebrated to worship brothers for their long life.  All ethnic groups celebrate this festival, and Kathmandu has had a festive vibe for the celebrations.

Little fairy lights and candles decorate all buildings and windows, during this festival of light - the city looks really pretty by night - I loved it!  In one street, they were making this giant floor painting, made from powdered spice, food and colour - it looked so beautiful, with crowds of people having a look at their work!

The fifth and last day of Tihar is Bhai Tika, a day where sisters put tika on forehead of brothers, to ensure long life, and thank them for the protection they give. When the sisters give the tika, the brothers give gifts or money as a return. A special garland is made for the brothers out of a flower that wilts after a couple of months, symbolizing the sister's prayer for her brother's long life.

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AURA QUE gets a mention in Grazia this week!!

I am really pleased that AURA QUE got a mention in fashion magazine, Grazia this week - as a recommended brand for ethical bags by Fashion Conscience founder Lianne Ludlow! Great stuff!

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Momentoes from Nepal....grubby money love notes...aaaah!

So I have been back in the UK madly getting out the A/W 2010 orders for the new season! Been really pleased with the response, with a few reorders already and happy customers!! phew!!

When I was unpacking my stuff from the trip, I found these two nepali bank notes that I had saved....a five rupee (5p) and ten rupee (10p) note........I liked the little love note graffitti on grubby money! I think I am going to start collecting them if I get any more with doodles on, when I go back to Nepal next month.

The five rupee note says 'Do u love me? yes, no' on one side and then 'I love u my boy' on the back - wonder what the story was there? I will never know....

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Escape from the city before I leave Kathmandu

Before I left Kathmandu, with the A/W 2010 production all quality checked and sent to the UK, I managed to get out of the city for 2 days - was a breath of fresh air, quite literally!

It has been quite hard this time to get out the city, with manufacturers having their weekly days off/holidays on different days, there is always some work to do, especially with the manufacturers scattered at opposite ends of the city!  So I was really happy to get out of Kathmandu briefly before I left.  I went to Kurintar, which is 95 km west from Kathmandu, on the way to Pokhara.  With friends, I went camping on the riverside, across the swinging metal footbridge, then up to Mamakamana Temple on the only cable car in Nepal!

Manakamana is the name of a Hindu Goddess, and it is believed that the Goddess fulfils the wishes of people....and if the wish comes true, you have to go back to the temple to thank the gods.  And I am not telling you what I wished for! The ten minute cable car ride from Kurintar to Manakamana, is amazing. It rises over 1000 metres, and has incredible views of the Nepali countryside, though no himalaya views because of the monsoon, but the rain clouds are really eery spilling over the mountains - awesthome! The view kept me silent the whole way up and down.

Though only in Nepal do they stop the cable car for 1.5 hrs for 'lunch' so took us ages to get back down with the endless queues of locals, indian tourists and sacrificed goats in plastic bags....

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Meeting Meera from Sana Hastakala

[[posterous-content:pid___0]]Meera coordinates all the productions at Sana Hastakala where all the Jogi bags and Allo Hemp items are made - efficient and strong willed, she oversees all the women working at the in-house stitching unit and has been working at Sana Hastakala for over 15 years. With many different customers, such as AURA QUE, she manages to juggle all the different products from different designers and companies internationally, with a huge smile.

With her son Sagun, back from working in Bangalore, I went around to their house to meet them and other family members as well as have some fantastic Newari food!  Meera brought up her son and daughter single handedly (now both in their late twenties/early thirties) which I think is really impressive, especially in Nepal.

I had got Meera a watch as a present when I arrived this trip, which she seemed really pleased with - and then she presented me with an AURA QUE brass presentation plaque, designed by Sagun who works in the family business with his Uncle - they produce the brass embossed AURA QUE tags for the new A/W 2010 collection (see the Key Fob). Sooooo cool - another reminder of why I started working here - how kind and welcoming people are!

 

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The best lunch invitation and surprise gift!

 Kumar is one of the sample makers I work with at NLT - its a great process: I will bring the designs and patterns, and we work together to find the best way to make each product with the factory's technical skills - I always learn a new technique or find some tool that I have not used before, so its definately a two way process!

When my sister, Elspeth, came to Nepal with me last winter, she distinctly remembers Kumar whose first words to her were "I am Kumar, I like meat" - very bizarre, but we were being taken for lunch at the time, and his English was a bit stilted at the time....Anyway, we went to his house to meet his family and they were so welcoming and hospitable.  I havent managed to visit since, until this week, when I went for lunch after work (Friday is a half day).  His wife had prepared all the bits of food that Kumar knew I liked from lunches at the factory - roti, pickle, potato curry as well as this fab rice pudding stuff - a right feast!

This time, I got to meet his daughter Alina, who was away last time I visited. She studies Humanities at the local college and I had good conversation with her! She had bought me an amazing gift of this plastic silver/gold photoframe with roses all over it - she was well happy when i told her how good the present was because my middle name (and mother's maiden name) is rose, so it was very appropriate! Though I did have a bit of a paparazzi moment, when she was taking my photo on her phone, of me with my mouth full of all the tasty food

Oh and the first picture of me and the family.....I promise they were happy to hang out with me, despite the solemn faces - it seems to be a Nepali habit to take very serious poses for photos!

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To Bhaktapur to visit Lokta Paper producer and get a face lift (of sorts)

It was great to have a quick trip out the city the other day - a friend took me on a motorbike to Bhaktapur - half an hour east of Kathmandu. It is the third largest city in Kathmandu valley and is listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO for its rich culture, temples, and wood, metal and stone artwork. Its such a beautiful place - all narrow streets, temples and statues, and busy with everyday life.

I had to go collect some paper products from Aparna and Ram, who run the Peacock Shop, making traditional lokta paper cards, books and gifts.  The traditional Nepalese handmade Lokta paper, known for its durability and special texture, is made from Lokta bark (only the outer bark is collected to ensure the preservation of the trees).  It is produced by a traditional technique, the bark is boiled and the soft pulp spread evenly in a wooden frame in water, and finally sun dried.

Here is Aparna with the press machine used to print onto the lokta paper. And the picture above is me trying out one of the handpainted traditional masks that they also produce - good look for me aye?

Late afternoon is the best time to go to Bhaktapur I reckon - at dusk, you can sit at watch all the locals milling around the temples and statues - great atmosphere.  Though I wasnt keen on the dark motorbike ride back, avoiding the potholes in the rain - just my luck! Worth it though!

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Meet Chimsi, who works at the Nepal Leprosy Trust...

One of the biggest characters I have met in Nepal, is Chimsi, who works at the Nepal Leprosy Trust, doing odd jobs around the building.  The factory where we make some of the AURA QUE leather products, supports the Nepal Leprosy Trust, helping people who have been affected with leprosy, as well as education and empowerment programmes in Kathmandu and the Lalguardh hospital near Janakhpur, South Nepal.

When I am working at NLT, I work directly with the producers in the factory, working out patterns, ways to make new designs etc etc. Its a great way to get to know the workers, though I REALLY need to improve my Nepali language! Chimsi has provided many comedy moments, by walking slowly into the room, and shouting gruff Nepali at me (she is partially deaf) about whether I wanted milk tea, or the weather or whatever...and with her exaggerated movements and funny one liners, she would have the rest of the factory workers in hysterics. Either that or she would creep up on me and give me the fright of my life, or just sit there and watch me work!

She has worked at NLT for over 20 years, and is married to Makuram Nepali, who used to work in the factory before he retired.  They both live in the accomodation block funded by NLT nearby to the factory - its built around a courtyard, and i park my bike round the side entrance, greeted by a huge 'NAMASTE DIDI!!" by Makuram who is sitting by the window of their place.  I didnt understand for ages why he kept calling me 'didi' (big sister) as I was blatantly younger than his 60 or so years.. but I was told it is a mark of respect by him, so I had to make a joke with him about that...

OH and lastly, I am gutted that I never got a picture of Chimsi in her best outfit (which I am sad to say i have never seen since)  - brightly coloured sari wrapped around her waist, scruffy trainers, bandana (see the one she is sporting above) and a blue tshirt that just said 'David Beckham' on it. Amazing, you got to love her...

 

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