Madena Ashley Donald-Baird celebrates 6 years in bag-making business

Just one walk around Madena Ashley Donald-Baird’s yard will have her proudly pointing out things she created. From bird cages made of mesh wire and aluminium to dog kennels made of wooden pallets and purlin, and even concrete walls – she does it all.

But she is not just a handywoman, she is also a handbag woman. Combining her skilful hands, attention to detail and love of sewing, she is now celebrating the sixth anniversary of her business, Ashley’s Only 1 Bags.

Donald-Baird, 37, was raised in Mayaro but moved to Rousillac, about eight years ago.

She recalled teaching herself to sew while growing up, during her days as a Mayaro Secondary School (formerly Mayaro Composite) student.

She said she always had access to a sewing machine, as her mother would sew sometimes, and her grandfather was a tailor.

“So I used to just do a little straight stitch, straight curtain, a tube dress, pillowcase…things like that.

“I remember one time I did one long line of curtains and I was very proud.”

She never once imagined it as a career back then. And interestingly, she added, she was never around either family member when they were sewing, but she still managed to pick up the hobby anyway.

“I guess it’s just a generation-to-generation thing,” she concluded, laughing.

The story of how she started making bags, though, is a bit funny to her.

In her adult life, her love for sewing continued, but it remained a hobby. She had a job as an oilfield worker and specialised in supply-chain logistics for some time. But after leaving that job, she decided to “try something different.

“At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to try a food (business), or something,” she said.

But in September 2018, she recalled, “It just so happened that I needed a crossbody bag.

“I walked around, I tried to find one, I couldn’t find any. Then, when I did find one, I didn’t like the quality of stitching it had…and then I decided to make one.

“At first, I built the bag incorrectly, but then I went back and tried again and I got it.”

She said several people began asking where she got it and she received several compliments from friends and strangers.

“So then I made one more, I made two more, ten more, 20…And then I started going around selling bags on a weekend.”

In September that year, she registered her business.

Clean and extremely organised, her Rousillac store is filled with hundreds of bags in different styles, materials, and patterns. There is a whiteboard with schedules and a to-do list, at least ten different sewing machines in sight – there are others stowed away – and a rainbow of colours in both fabric and thread.

She also made the shelves and the racks on which her bags hang inside the store.

She makes handbags, tote bags, wristlets, pouches, backpacks, as well as other branded items like T-shirts, pillows, robes and aprons.

All her creations are double-stitched, machine washable and durable, she said. The fabrics she uses include printed cotton, tapestry, hickory, leatherette, nylon, denim and drill.

The colours used on her bags are just as bright and vibrant as her personality, and many of them have Afrocentric themes. So it was no surprise that she regularly gets a lot of sales in August for African Emancipation Day.

“I really hope that someday, my work reaches Africa,” she said.

She tries her best to ensure all customers leave her store or stalls at pop-up markets with a smile or laugh.

On whether she has a preference among her creations, she said, “I love doing patchwork, so that is my favourite: getting all the pieces, putting them together and creating a unique design.”

When people see her work, some common remarks are: “It’s neat,” “It’s different,” and “I love that it’s handmade and local.”

She takes the most pride in what she calls her souvenir line, where she highlights all things local. Those designs include items with the scarlet ibis and cocrico, chaconia, steelpan, leatherback turtles, hibiscus flowers, etc.

“One of the things that pushed to do this line was actually watching (a government official) on TV give a foreign delegate a plain-looking bag as a symbol of appreciation. I was like, ‘We (local artisans) could do so much better!’ and I started making these.”

Tourism Trinidad has since commissioned her for that line of products for a trip to the Netherlands.

“Sewing brings me a lot of joy.

“I love seeing the reactions of customers, or even potential buyers just stopping and admiring my work. Sometimes, I’d be walking up High Street (San Fernando) and see four or five people with bags I made and I’d stop and talk to them.”

This joy was evident as she walked the WMN team through the process of making a wristlet – from choosing and measuring the cloth to the final stitch. She completed the floral bag with pink, blue and white hues in under 20 minutes.

As a full-time entrepreneur, she said her business keeps her occupied and is “fun and fantastic.”

She is currently on the road to recovery from some health challenges but said she is ready to go again.

Her business page, Ashley’s Only 1 Bags, can be found on Facebook and Instagram.

 

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