Pumpkin Bread, Sweaters, Spiced Chai...Fall is Here at Sak Saum.

It may surprise you but we have been excitedly preparing for fall over the last several months. Yes, that's right. While you are riding bikes, eating watermelon, and having pool parties, we have been carefully selecting corduroys, tweeds and brilliantly rich hues for our fall line. It takes time to sew all these bags which means spring is right around the corner for Sak Saum!

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Fall is a beautiful time of year and we cannot wait for you to see some of our new product. Unfortunately, we can't show you everything but here is a sneak peek to get you thinking about fall home parties and early Christmas shopping...

We begin with one of our new bags, Sarah. Already this one is proving popular and comes in heavy linens and trendy corduroys with a fun fabric lining. Check out the vertical pleats which add a distinctive touch.

We love using corduroy as the belt on our Sana bag (left) and now offer our Rebecca bag in rich, striped silk.

We are also starting a men's line with tweeds, hound's-tooths, and, of course, corduroy. Men's wallets are in production now!

Whether summer, fall or winter, we will always feature Cambodia's native resource - the coconut. Featured from left to right: Cecilia 2010, our upgraded New York Tote, and Sana.

And we recently discovered the endless possibilities of pairing muted outsides with a fresh, fun, funky inside. Our new Serai bag is featured here.

There is so much more we could show you. Thanks for supporting Sak Saum - we love designing products we hope you will enjoy. Happy Fall! 

Fair Trade with Coconuts

So...we know we promised a sneak peak of fall colors this blog. However, we then realized that it is only mid-May. In the design world, you have to think about six months ahead which means we are up to our ears in gorgeous tweeds and robust corduroys. But the rest of you are just getting ready to sip some iced tea and head to the pool for the first time! Needless to say, we decided to postpone our fall preview for a few more weeks.

Instead, we want to introduce you to someone very special. His name is Bang and this is his story. Ginny, Sak Saum's director, first met Bang several years ago. He was quite a different man then. His wife was the primary bread-winner with her job as a police woman. Unfortunately, Cambodia's police are paid very poorly, contributing to a lot of corruption. You can imagine the loss of dignity and purpose Bang experienced as a man unable to provide for his family. What could be done to help him and his family? The answer? Coconuts.

Sak Saum was able to help Bang establish a business carving coconuts into beautiful buttons, ornaments and even musical instruments. Now Sak Saum practices fair trade with Bang, buying his incredible handicraft to use on our bags and other products. As you can see from the photos below, Bang no longer lives with despair and low-self esteem. His eyes shine with the hope and purpose he has found. What a great God we serve!

Meet Bang...

Hard at work cutting the coconut shell...

 Some necessary tools and uncut buttons.

Sanding coconuts. Did you know they are a natural Cambodian resource?

Hard at work...

And the fruit? Key chains, ornaments, buttons, musical instruments AND hope and dignity.

We use Bang's buttons and rings on our bags quite often.

See you next time!