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t is not uncommon to encounter women who will say that there are two occasions for which they will buy a bag – when they need one, and when they don’t need one. Well, you can now add a third reason to that list. Gin & Jacqie, a Sarawak fashion accessories brand that creates lifestyle tote bags has joined forces with the Malaysian state’s very own Sape Sweetheart, Alena Murang, to raise funds for the the Association for the Development of The Education of Indigenous People (PPP Orang Pribumi) via the sale of G&J’s Harvest Tote Collection. A generous 20% of all proceeds will go toward ensuring that children in rural parts of the state have
access to better education. Founded in 2008, G&J launched its vibrant line of totes on October 11, 2021, which comes in 3 different sets of colourful designs. The lifestyle brand’s founder, Jacqueline Ng, said, “Alena was a natural choice. She has been championing Sarawak through her multifaceted career and I have admired her as an artist, both through her music and her art. We agreed on traditional motifs, as there is a need to revive and educate new generations on their traditions and roots. We wanted to do it by making it relevant in our world today. And of course, fashionable! So it was a marriage made in heaven.” Plant Now, Harvest Later is a philosophy inspired by the
livelihood of farmers that Alena brought to this collaboration, resulting in a tangible product. “My father’s generation was the first to get a formal education and the first to go to university. This has enabled my generation to have the life that we have now and that is why education is a very important cause to me. While working for the Teach for Malaysia Foundation I saw first-hand the hardships of those that do not have access to quality education. My mother is also in the education sector and through her I came across the PPP Orang Pribumi. I told myself I would try to do something with them one day. The time has come for me to make this come true.” On working on a contemporary project, Alena believed in leaning into each other’s strengths. Gin & Jacqie knows
the processes of creating functional bags and it is known for its colours and prints. I was happy to be given a blank canvas to express my art. I’ve learned from woven material; which is the traditional way, that repetition, symmetry and geometry are elements of nature. Together, we incorporated all of that into a modern day, waterproof tote bag.” Known for its bold, vivacious colours incorporated into functional and practical designs, G&J’s Harvest Collection is a large tote bag that comes with a smaller pouch in matching print. Along with this is a detachable sling, which can be used on the tote or on the pouch to turn it into a sling bag; the sets are priced at RM189. •• IG: @ginjacqie FB: GIN & JACQIE www.ginjacqie.com www.shopee.com.my www.zalora.com.my
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