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Escape from the city before I leave Kathmandu

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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...

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Meeting Meera from Sana Hastakala

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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...

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The best lunch invitation and surprise gift!

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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...

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

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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...

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

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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...

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Think I jinxed it, I got caught in the monsoon rain...

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I think my last post must have jinxed me, because today i got caught on my cycle in the monsoon...not fun! The rain pelts at you and even my lovely knee-length mac doesn't seem to do much against it! It reminded me of something I had said to an old work colleague about...

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New A/W2010 Collection now available for pre-order with 20% discount until the end of August!

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The new AURA QUE A/W2010 collection is arriving by the end of August!!  Includes our signature leather and handknit handbags, versatile handknitted snoods and scarves, and unique small leather goods... You can now pre-order all items for delivery by 25th August....Also...

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Trying not to get caught in the Monsoon rain in Nepal!

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So, its been a busy month, I haven't had chance to blog for awhile.....oops! I arrived back in Kathmandu few days ago, overseeing my Autumn/Winter Production which is now coming along nicely.....more on that later... Nepal is now in the monsoon season, its sunny...

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Opening of the Fair Trade Cooperative in Holmfirth..

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So I have been getting used to being back in the UK after my last trip to Nepal and India.  This is the first time I have been back in the UK for June for at least 5 years, and I have to say I am loving it!! The beautiful weather is making me appreciate the british countryside...

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I dont think that bright pink leather with zebra print is really my style?!

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So I got to Delhi, had a couple of meetings, and got to catch up with Kirat, a good university friend from LCF Cordwainers College, before heading on the 14 hr round trip by train to visit the leather tannery I am working with.  I had to check my leather production before...

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Leaving Nepal - until next time...

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So after a whirlwind three and a half week trip to Kathmandu, I have gone back to Delhi for several meetings, and to view my leather production.  With a severe shortage of time, due to all the delays at the beginning of my trip, I had to fly back to Delhi from Kathmandu...

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Nearly finished working on my Spring/Summer 2011 samples!

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Whilst in Nepal this time, I have been working on my designs and collection for Spring/Summer 2011 to show to buyers over the next few months. I have been working with some of the sample makers at a leather workshop in South Kathmandu, set up by the Nepal Leprosy Trust...

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So I think I am a bit of a giant here...

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Well I am 5 ft 10 inches, tall but not that tall in the UK - but in Nepal, I definately feel like a giant!  I still remember my first time living in Nepal in 2003, when I was teaching English in a rural village, and how all the local families were laughing when they put...

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Cycling around Kathmandu

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Kathmandu is chaotic, there is no doubt about it. The mass sprawl, the crowds, the mental traffic of motorbikes, tuktuks, cars, rickshaws, and cows! Its not a huge city, but its pretty packed with people!  With over 2000 years of cultural heritage, you catch glimpses...

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Going for lunch with my producers

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Ok so from this photo, i seem a little over excited about lunch with the producers at my leather factory - but you cant beat a lunch break for veg chowmein and good company!!

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Spring/Summer 2010 - Screenprinting AURA QUE Logo

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For our Allo hemp products, the AURA QUE logo is screenprinted by hand onto each piece - see pictures below from the manufacturer that I visited this week, whilst developing new samples for our next collection!

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Visit to Tannery in India

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On my road trip from Delhi to Kathmandu, I visited the tannery that produces buffalo leather for AURA QUE's leather collection. I have visited many tanneries in various parts of India over the last few years, and am pleased to be working this well established tannery...

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Finally made it to Kathmandu

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Once the strike was lifted, we were able to get transport to Kathmandu from the border of Nepal/India. An 8 hour bus journey, with incredible scenes of Nepal - through the farmlands of the southern Terai and the windy roads through the mountains, following the river to...

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After nearly a week of the Maoist Strike that totally shut down Nepal, the strike is lifted and we can go on!

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So we got to the Nepali/Indian border on Tuesday, filled with optimism that the strike that started last Sunday, would be over by then. But no; at the border, all shops were closed, all cafes, all buses stopped, with everyone just milling around with nothing to do.With...

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Love/hate relationship with the Delhi to Kathmandu Overland Trip - especially with the Maoist strike starting in Nepal...

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So I could take a 1.5 hr flight from Delhi to Kathmandu, but when possible I travel overland to see new places in India and visit my leather tannery firsthand.Its a mission of a journey that has taken me between 1.5 days to 5 days and can never be fully planned it seems...

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Double Introduction to India

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Despite travelling through India many times, I have never been to see the Taj Mahal, so thought we would take a look before I met my leather suppliers at their tannery further north, on our way overland to Nepal.So we hopped on a train to Agra from Delhi. Unfortunately...

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Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

AURA QUE

AURA QUE

Website: www.auraque.com
Online Boutique: http://shop.auraque.com
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/auraque

AURA QUE creates a range of stylish contemporary accessories manufactured by the Nepal Fair Trade Group to increase ethical production in the developing country of Nepal.

Each AURA QUE design is brought to life in a Nepalese factory that employs local people affected by disabilities, providing an income for themselves and their families according to fair trade principles.
Designer Laura Queening incorporates local materials wherever possible, such as Allo hemp produced from a Himalayan plant, handmade brass fittings, natural textured Lokta paper and the traditional woven cloth.

AURA QUE products use high quality 100% Buffalo leather that is a by-product of the food industry. AURA QUE products are individually hand crafted in Nepal, which may result in slight variations. The unique story behind each AURA QUE product enhances its charm!

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