Our Love Story
Lovers of Style + Nature + Giving
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Love Stories Bali is a slow fashion brand
that exists for a school mission.
We like being a small business doing what we love
- crafting style that’s also giving, and using
nature and all its perfect imperfections.
People and the planet are at the heart of what we do.
People and the planet are at the heart of what we do.
It’s not just about fashion; it’s about coexistence.
Loving ourselves is also living a conscious lifestyle,
caring for mother nature, and sharing our blessings
with vulnerable communities.
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May we inspire you to be lovers of style, nature
and giving too when investing in our conscious
clothing and accessories. Styled to be artsy so
you feel the freedom to just be. Made to be comfy
with plant colors and organic materials that are both
good for our well-being and the environment.
Co-created to be crafty with something Balinese,
in collaboration with home-based artisans and
creatives who we support because they care about
artistry, long-lasting quality, and ancient forms of
workmanship. We love giving ingenious artisans a
chance in the global market.
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You become an inherent donor to our school mission:
sharing 50% of our net profit from all purchases
so together we give underprivileged children the
privilege of green schooling in a nature-based,
multi-faith, woman-founded preschool in Bali.
We support the expansion of the preschool and
upskilling of teachers to improve children’s learning.
We believe every child deserves an education.
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The fashion industry remains to be the second largest
polluter of the planet. Let’s contribute to the solution,
not continuous pollution, of the fashion industry
through our conscious choices.
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We're women-founded in 2017. Bali based. Bali made.
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STYLE
have freedom to style and just be
• Artsy - art in every piece, edgy, playful
• Crafty - beauty in imperfection, handmade, small batches
• Comfy - loose fitting, easy to style, easy to care
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NATURE
Natural and Heritage Fabrics
enjoy nature’s kindness on your skin
We used natural materials that are available locally.
• Hemp with organic cotton blend
• Organic cotton
• Tencel™ from Lenzing
• 100% silk 16 momme
• Handloom woven cotton, locally grown
• Batik handpainted cotton cloth, Indonesia's heritage
fabric that UNESCO listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage
of Humanity in 2009 for its technique, symbolism and
culture. For our batik collection, we craft only old batik
sarong from our friend Ani's over 20-year collection.
• Pineapple sheer fabric, Philippines heritage fabric,
handloom woven, intricately hand embroidered
• Upcycled fabrics from production scraps
• Mother of pearl buttons - biodegradable
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Natural Colors and Prints from Plants
find beauty in nature’s imperfection
• Bali is blessed with variety of dye plants that grow fast
• Dyers take the time to hand dye, no rushing
• Fermenting leaves in-house for top quality
• Color variations and imperfections are unavoidable
as they are affected by the sun, rain, water mineral,
soil fertility, harvest time, and artisans' positive energy.
• Excess water are nutritious to reuse for house garden
• Plant colors mellow with washing to a washed-out appeal.
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💙 from strobilanthes cusia leaves
🖤 from ketapang leaves
💛 from mango leaves
❤️ from sappan wood
🤎 from coconut husks
💜 from mix strobilanthes cusia | sappan wood
💚 from mix strobilanthes cusia | mango leaves
🧡 from mix mango leaves | sappan wood
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Natural and Ancient Craftsmanship
be inspired by artisans’ artistry with nature
We support the artisans by fitting our designs with their artistry, capabilities and local resources.
• Plant dyeing - by hand without harsh chemicals
• Eco-printing by hand - using fresh leaves and flowers
• Handpainting Indonesian batik - by women painters
• Handpainting using plant-based inks - new in Bali
• Eco-dyeing - by hand without harsh chemicals
• Color-mixing - by hand, from experience not formula
• Cutting - by hand the old-fashioned way
• Sewing - clean and durable stitching
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GIVING
Our School Mission
sharing feels good
Agnes Rini Astuti founded PAUD (preschool) Cemara Kasih
in 2010 with nothing more than her savings plus family
donations. And a big mission: educate preschoolers from
low-income families regardless of religion with a
sustainable early development program focusing on
life skills, and materials from nature. In supporting Agnes,
it's not just about sharing funds, it's about sisterhood.
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how our small acts make a big difference
. In March 2022, dreams came true as we funded
the first mobile school van. Where poor kids cannot afford
to come to school, the teachers will bring the
mobile school to their poor villages starting May 2022.
. In 2019, thank you to customers who sponsored with us
28 children from families in extreme poverty for
$150 USD for one child for one year of school fees.
. In 2019, Getry, founder of Montessori in Pejeng,
volunteered to give Agnes the Montessori basic training.
. In 2018, the Jimbrana regional government recognized
the school as a model green school for its unique organic garden and lifeskills curriculum. A star was
born. Agnes became a star trainer to hundreds of
local teachers eager to learn and emulate her green curriculum.
. In 2018, we funded the acquisition of the land next door
for the first school expansion where Agnes built an organic
garden for children's education and food.
. In 2018, Gloria, a retired Montessori teacher in New
Jersey, shipped a truckload of her collection of Montessori
tools trusting that Agnes will accomplish her mission.
. Since 2017, a continuous flow of customers volunteered
to share expertise with Agnes from global greening experts
to early-development teachers and sustainability advocates.
The school is now plastic free.
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Agnes continues to be multi-awarded
. 2022: Agnes has been the trainer of choice both in Bali
and Jakarta for thousands of teachers on how to implement
the sustainable Reggio Emilia education approach.
. 2020: she was selected by the Ministry of Education
to take part in reshaping the country's required
sustainable early development curriculum.
She was the only teacher from Bali.
. 2019: she went to Italy for Reggio Emilia early education
teachers' training along with 15 nationwide teachers
sponsored by a government institution.
She was the only one from Bali.
. 2018: she was one of 12 "Changemakers of Indonesia"
(a national award annually granted by the Indonesian
government) for her innovative early development
programs.
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Our Partner Artisans
co-creating with small business owners
We're grateful everyday for Ratna at Matadewi for most
of our production and Andika at Pagi Motley for all our
plant dyeing, and the many individual seasoned and
emerging artisans who share our values for social and
environmental responsibilities. We co-create with them
at their homes using their gifted talent and ancient
techniques, never rushing, always experimenting
with us so our designs match their skills and
artistic traditions. We are onsite with them to enjoy
every step of the process, and learn from each other.
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Tree Planting
For every Hannah Tree Planting organic cotton t-shirt sold,
we donate $4 USD from the sale to buy 3 young trees.
We started this journey in January 2020 and by March,
pre-pandemic, planted 100 trees in a protected jungle
in Bali in collaboration with our partner, Pagi Motley.
We help not only preserve our ecosystem but also offset
the carbon emissions involved in our order deliveries.
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GIVING CUSTOMERS
Loving humans from over 80 countries,
from Iceland to Cuba, Ethiopia, and down to New Zealand
- of all races, sizes, gender, personalities, income -
have supported and exchanged life stories with us
since we opened our little shop in July 2017 in Ubud, Bali.
Teachers volunteered in the schools and changed lives.
Artists created art for the shop to join our causes.
Can't believe! We’re so grateful.
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TRI HITA KARANA
Balinese devote to the life philosophy of “Tri Hita Karana”
(Three Causes of Well-being: God, Nature, Community)
to achieve wellness and success in life.
This guides the way we work with our partners
where our decisions and actions are harmonized
to honor nature, respect people and the community,
and revere the Gods through spiritual traditions.
Love lives here.
Amanda, a fashion designer from New York, visited the Ubud shop in early 2018. In 2019, she and her partner Sam created this art for our reusable cotton shopping bag as their way to support our causes. This is now our brand's signature art.