A handbag that helps rebuild lives.

I found these gorgeous handbags at a tradeshow in Vegas about a year ago and I was touched by this company's unique mission. Each handbag in the line is handmade by women who survived the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia. Every purchase contributes to the housing and economic sustainability of these survivors. The purses are truly stunning. All are made with gorgeous Acehnese embroidery and take about 24 hours to construct.

The line has a variety of different styles including a small coin purse, medium sized handbag and a large weekender tote.  Each purse style also has a symbolic name. I own the Ingat purse which means "Remember" and there are a variety of other options including the Abadi "Eternal", Harapan "Hope" and Puhlih "Recover".

The price for a Laga purse starts at around $100, but the artisan crafted detailing and mission warrant the high purchase price. The press is calling this the new designer handbag and I've found that most people like the idea of carrying a purse that is helping a great cause.

Laga can be found in many boutiques and you can also check out the line at www.laga-handbags.com.