It’s Christmas 2015. I’m sitting on my parent’s couch waiting for ‘present time’ with my family. My Mum hands me a square box. “Is this what I think it is?!” 19 year old me has been searching far and wide for an everyday handbag that fits all my requirements. Brown leather. Small but not too small. No wildly fancy compartments. An ethically made of course. Easy to clean. Adjustable strap.

On the 25th of December 2015, I was bestowed exactly that. A Loyal Workshop Companion Satchel sat on my lap and I could not have loved my generous parents any more.

Since then, the bag has travelled with me everywhere. It was there on the day my now-husband led me on a surprise human treasure hunt which ended with a marriage proposal. The bag travelled with me through Myanmar, Fiji, Samoa and Australia on our honeymoon. It graced Eco Fashion Week Australia in 2018 and held my most precious possessions during a month adventure throughout America. It’s been my daily companion, no matter where I have been. This bag has seen a lot.

But as well as doing the job a bag best does - holding onto possessions in a practical and stylish way - this bag is a world changer. The bag was made by The Loyal Workshop, specifically by a woman called Raima. I know this because of the laser cut print etched into the side that says ‘Made by Raima’.

The Loyal Workshop changes the lives of people working in the sex trade industry in Kolkata, India, by offering them alternative employment, education, community, and general support. The organisation started in 2014 and there are currently 16 women who make products at The Loyal Workshop. Through the sales of their products, they continue to offer employment, ongoing social work support, basic education, and a workplace where they feel safe and valued.

It was my absolute honour to visit The Loyal Workshop to meet Raima and see their incredible work in person!

Visiting was surreal. I knew about their work beforehand of course, but walking through the streets to get to the workshop was another experience. The workshop is located in the middle of a red light district. As my husband and I walked through the alleyways, we passed women lined up outside brothels, waiting for their next job. Then as we walked up the stairs to The Loyal Workshop, we saw the happy faces of craftswomen with expressions far from those we saw in the streets, though we knew they had once been on those very streets too. The vibe in The Loyal Workshop was homely and fun. Lots of laughter, some working quietly in solitude, others working in groups and chatting away while hand stitching the bags, wallets, key rings, and belts.

Meeting the person who made the most beloved items in your life is always a humbling experience. As an ethical blogger I find myself meeting makers a lot and I always laugh at how differently the meeting pans out to what I expect. You would have thought I had learnt by now!

When you own an item you love so much, it’s impossible not to romanticise the meeting with the maker. Heck, I had 7 years to dream up what it would be like to meet Raima! In my mind, we would run in slow motion to each other, locking eyes as we ran and embracing in a bundle of tears and joy as we collided. I would whisper ‘thank you’ in her ear and she’d know the intense gratitude I had towards her the many hours/days she spent crafting a bag that had grown to be my constant friend.

In reality… I didn’t know what Raima looked like, so I kept asking the General Manager (also our translator) where she was. We sat in one room of the workshop for a while and I could feel my nerves growing as I looked around and realised there may not be enough space for my slow motion running. “Was that Raima?” I asked again. “No, she was the one sitting in that corner just before. She’s in the other room now.

We ventured into the other room and as we walked in I saw a woman's back. “This is Raima!”

We met in the doorway of a busy workshop room. She gave me a small smile. I gave her a giddy grin and reigned in my urge to hug her. I asked the General Manager to say “thank you so much for making my bag, I have dreamed of the day I could meet you to say thank you.” She smiled some more and then went back to making more bags.

See? Even though I meet the makers of my products all the time, I still think I’m special. Truth is, craftswomen make products every day. It’s their job. And although we got to spend a little more time together and she seemed genuinely happy for me to be there, I’m just another random chick who carries around a bag that she made 7 years ago - she’s probably made hundreds since.

Not only did I get to meet the maker of my bag, but I visited the tannery where the leather is produced. The leather in this factory is a bi product of the meat industry and they’re one of the only factories in the region who make vegetable tanned leather as well as chrome. Vegetable tanning involves tree tannins and water to turn animal skins into leather, whereas chrome relies on chromium salts and tanning liquors that have a detrimental environmental impact. The factory produces chrome leather for other clients, however the owner’s passion is in sustainable leather production and it was brilliant to talk with them and hear how they plan to expand this part of production.

It’s not every day you get to see the entire process of how your bag is made, from raw animal skin to sitting shiny on your shoulder.  My bag has always been special, but now it means even more to me.

As we sat in a circle at The Loyal Workshop for the last time, saying our goodbyes and drinking chai, I looked them in the eye and told them I would do my very best to let everyone know about their work so they could keep on making! So, whenever you need a bag (they make many styles), a belt (I bought Tim one for his birthday years ago!), a keychain, or a wallet, consider The Loyal Workshop & picture these incredible women whenever you use it!

Shop The Loyal Workshop here.

*I only work with brands I love, use, and can wholeheartedly back. This is a sponsored blog but 100% my own words, photos, and opinion.

**First two images captured by Shivam Photography.