Purse for Sewers
To those who joined #PurseForSewers, maraming salamat!
* VOUCHERS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE
It was an initiative to help sustain the livelihood of our salesgirls and partner sewers, after our physical stores were abruptly closed in March due to the pandemic. Our goal was to save the incomes of 13 people and their families, and help give them some financial stability in extraordinarily difficult times.
Those who joined this initiative by purchasing a P500 Voucher were able to exchange it for Fifteen (15) Purses (valued at P750). The purses were all cut, assembled and sewn locally. Most of them were made from fabric scraps that we recycle to minimize the waste in our production process.
Vouchers were for one time use only, non-transferable, and exclusive of shipping fees. You may have purchased as many Vouchers as you wanted! All Vouchers have no expiry date and were redeemed for online orders only.
We would like to reiterate that we did not make any profit from this initiative. Through our years in the retail business, we have managed to weather all kinds of ups and downs. But the pandemic was something else. It was unprecedented. And we were worried that our salesgirls and sewers, along with thousands of other workers in Manila, would be hit hard the most. We would like to believe that we are fair employers and that during times of need, maasahan nila kami at kayo.
To those who joined #PurseForSewers, maraming salamat :-)
Jen and Sheila
Thank you so much for your support!
Update as of July 13, 2020
The second batch of purses are expected to be finished and posted by end of July. If you would like to redeem non-purse Fab Manila items, kindly email us at fabmanila@gmail.com so we can send you the coupon code for this.
Thank you!
Update as of June 6, 2020
We have already made available for redemption, the first batch of purses. The voucher code has been emailed to indiviual voucher holders. The second batch of purses is already in production and we hope to release it by mid-July 2020.
*****
Right now, our partner sewers in Cainta, Rizal are still in the process of making 6,000+ purses. Unfortunately, Rizal is still on total lockdown at the moment which means non-essential goods cannot pass through checkpoints. It is not possible yet to send them more fabrics to finish all 6,000+ purses.
It was a blessing in disguise that, prior to the lockdown, we sent them materials for production. This has made all the difference because during quarantine, they were able to continue to sew and make a living. Because you purchased a voucher, you helped make this transition to a new normal possible. As of May 8, 2020 they have already finished about 3,200 purses. We need to send them additional fabric so they can finish more.
The problem is we do not know when the Rizal lockdown will be lifted. But rest assured that we are doing all that we can to finish the purses as soon as possible. Kindly give us a month after Rizal lockdown is lifted so the sewers can finish cutting and sewing fabrics. The next step is attaching of snap buttons and taking photos for posting online. You see, for such a small product, it literally takes a village from start to finish.
We hope you understand and we thank you immensely for your generosity and patience! We would like to be fully transparent so photos/videos will be regularly posted in our social media accounts. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook so you can get first dibs once the purses are posted online!
A message to those who already purchased :)
Updates on #PurseForSewers
Fab Manila added a new photo.
Hello, fellow Plant Moms 🌱 This is Jen also known as @condogardening. I am so tempted to keep one of this for myself haha! I forgot to mention in our earlier post that even if you don't have a voucher you can still purchase the purses at its regular and very affordable price of 50 pesos. ALL HANDMADE WITH LOVE DURING ECQ. 💚 #PurseForSewers
Fab Manila added a new photo.
May 23
Yesterday we were able to successfully send more fabrics to our partner sewers in Cainta, Rizal. This morning, they told us they were *excited* to go back to work and resume sewing purses and face masks. What a blessing they are to us! 😭 Some days you just have to celebrate the small wins. Because those are the things that will keep you going. Labaaan! 🇵🇭 #PurseForSewers
Fab Manila added a new photo.
May 8
#PurseForSewers update ❤
These photos were sent to us by Salve, one of our partner sewers in Cainta, Rizal. We were introduced circa 2007 I think. She is an amazing (and efficient!) cutter and sewer. Honestly don't know what we would do without her. Who are you grateful for today?
Fab Manila added a new photo.
April 1
Hello from Ate Riza 🖐
Happy to report that there are now 4 sewers working on 600+ purses this week. Thank you for supporting #PurseForSewers! Our hearts are smiling and we hope yours are too. ❤
Fab Manila added a new photo.
June 6
#PurseForSewers update. The first batch of Purses (70+ designs) are now available for redemption at the website!! We just finished sending all 178 emails lol. 🤪 Kindly note that the voucher code we emailed you is for redeeming purses *muna*.Kindly note that the voucher code we emailed you is for redeeming purses *muna*. If you purchased a voucher with the intention of availing 20% discount on other Fab Manila items (not purse) .... View on Instagram
Fab Manila added a new photo.
May 22
Purses individually patterned and cut by our ATC salesgirl, Genalyn. She made this at home for the past month and half. We met today for turnover. Next challenge is sending these to our partner sewers in Cainta. Riders are a bit difficult to book the past few days, so please bear with us as we try to navigate the logistics of this new normal. Slow production has become even slower. ❤ Taking it one day at a time, one task at a time.
Fab Manila added a new photo.
May 8
Pushing 6,000! 😱 All the materials and scrap fabrics we have on hand pre-lockdown has been sewn into Purses already. We have about 3,200 waiting to be sent to our sewer who specializes in attaching snap buttons..as soon as the lockdown in Rizal is lifted. Our salesgirls are still receiving allowances despite no work. Thank you for helping make all this possible! AMDG ❤
Fab Manila added a new photo.
March 28
Just finished sending out a bunch of emails and talking to some of our partner sewers. Grateful that two weeks on, everybody seems to be okay and healthy. That in itself is a huge blessing! Some of the sewers in Cainta already have their quarantine passes, and can hopefully start sewing purses by next week. Can't tell you how much this means to us, and to them. A sense of normalcy and continuity, in a very fast changing world. We are just glad .... View on Instagram
Fab Manila added a new photo.
June 6
70+ purse designs available for redemption at the website! 😍😍😍 Thank you everyone for helping us out at a time when we needed it most. Our salesladies and partner sewers are very happy and grateful for the income they received during lockdown. The past 70+ days have been surreal, brutal and challenging all around. But you helped a lot of families get through it. Thank you! ♡ Love, Jen & Sheila
Fab Manila added a new photo.
May 8
#PurseForSewers update ❤
These photos were sent to us by Salve, one of our partner sewers in Cainta, Rizal. We were introduced circa 2007 I think. She is an amazing (and efficient!) cutter and sewer. Honestly don't know what we would do without her. Who are you grateful for today?
Fab Manila added a new photo.
April 21
Some of the Purses that were cut and sewn recently. More to be finished this week. ❤ #PurseForSewers
Fab Manila added a new photo.
March 23
The first batch of fabrics that are going to our salesladies this week for cutting! It is a bit of a challenge logistics wise, with all the checkpoints in metro manila, but I believe (in God's grace) that we can find a way. Genalyn, our saleslady in Alabang Town Center, got her package yesterday. One down, three to go. 😁
All of these fabrics are equivalent to about 1,000 purses .... View on Instagram