those who have been following us since the beginning know that we had initially planned a Spring 2018 website launch, and now more than two years later, here we are.
the plan was to fly back to LA from bali in early may to start doing our spring shows and get things ready for a summer website launch, but then march happened, and the world as we know it got flipped upside down.
we only had a couple days to pack our home in bali and leave when the level 4 travel advisory went out, it all happened so fast I hardly had a chance to grasp what was happening. then, once I got back to LA it all started slowly sinking in. markets weren't opening up any time soon, and with that my means for an income. I definitely felt the pressure to move online right away, but I worried that this was the most inopportune and insensitive time to launch. I also avoided putting up any sales on Instagram, I felt a bit disoriented, and had no desire to launch during a pandemic.
then the DMs started coming in from friends, customers, and followers asking how they could continue to support my small business. I saw other small business owners shifting to find new ways to stay afloat. I was slowly becoming encouraged to carry on with business. then, the whatsapps from bali started coming through.
approximately 80-90% of the income on the island is generated from tourism, so after multiple weeks without tourists, some locals were really struggling, and reaching out to everyone in their phone book asking for money. the struggles on the island are much more dire and visible than the ones we face in the western world.
knowing that we have over a dozen artisan partners and their families who rely on our orders as an income generator motivated us to snap out of the shock, and pivot like other small businesses trying to survive this period. we kept production going on all the others we had already placed and assured out partners we would do our best to continue placing regular orders during this difficult period. the majority of our partners work from their own home, so this poses no threat to their well-being.
our hope is that even with closure of all markets, we can continue placing regular orders from the families we work with. we recognize the importance of being good partners, and just as much as we rely on them to make our beautiful creations, they rely on us to sell them on their behalf. a true partnership.
our launch is not what we envisioned, but it's happening, and we thank you for being here with us. stay safe, stay home. and make it cozy friends.
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