Sunday November 8, 2009
Bags with a conscience
By ELAINE DONG
Is there a way to whet your appetite for handbags and be socially responsible at the same time?
HISTORY has shown that when two ladies get together and talk about handbags, anything can happen.
When Uruguayan Maria Estrada, founder of Ignes bags, and Malaysian Aarathi Arumugam met at one of their husband’s MBA events in London, Estrada’s bags found their way to our shores.
Maria and Ignacio Estrada, the brother and sister team that started Ignes bags. She started the line of hand-crafted, leather bags with her brother Ignacio in 2007, using leather that is a by-product of Uruguay’s meat industry. The material is sourced from reputable tanneries with responsible environmental practices. There is also no wastage of raw material, and leftover leather is transformed into keyrings or pouches and hand and wrist braces for children at a rehabilitation centre.
So, really, what you’ll get with an Ignes is a bag with a conscience.
The Estrada siblings also employ a growing number of artisans who are paid above-average wages. For their efforts, Ignes won the Most Socially Responsible brand at the Handbag Designer Awards in New York in 2007.
Aarathi tells how she fell in love with the bags when she first saw them and decided to bring Ignes to Asia during one of her chats with Estrada. When her husband moved from London to Singapore, Aarathi quit her job as a financial director with an insurance broker, moved back to this region and concentrated on selling the bags.
“I loved the fact that one can get a high quality, full leather, lined bag for under RM1,000 (Ignes clutches start at RM850 and its larger bags go up to about RM2,000). Also, Ignes is doing things in a socially responsible way,” she says.
Ignes also has an appealing bespoke option for people who want one-of-a-kind bags.
For each of its existing models – which include Francis, Ormala, Petra, Josephine, Tango, Luka, Baby Millie, Amalia, Sofia and Gabrielle – customers have the option of customising almost every aspect of the bag.
The Francis in napa pink goes for RM1,790. “We have over 20 different styles, and we have over 50 different types of deliciously soft and supple leathers to choose from – some with fur too,” says Aarathi.
“Customers can also choose between different hardware finishes like shiny silver or matt gold. Even the lining colour can be chosen, and we do fabric and suede.
“And to make it all yours, we engrave your name on a little tag in the bag. All these customisation is available at no extra cost,” she adds.
You can can get your hands on one of these bags online at http://www.ignesbags.com/malaysia or call Aarathi to arrange a bag party.
“We are not in stores, mainly because we believe the made to order aspect of the bags appeals to the discerning buyer who wants a luxury bag that does not look like a bag that millions of others own,” she says.
So what happens at a bag party?
The Gabrielle is perfect for the busy woman. “We bring all our samples, and the leathers and different hardware which give the ladies a chance to touch and feel the bags and hopefully be tempted to buy their very own bespoke bag,” she says. Aarathi usually throws in a discount as well as gifts for bags sold during these parties.
It has certainly been an interesting journey for her, learning the ropes of running her own business and trying to build the brand in Malaysia and Singapore. Next, this ambitious lady hopes to venture into other parts of Asia.
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