Special Order/Pre-Order Updates
As of February 21st, 2025
Hello everyone!! You arrived here because you have an outstanding order and you are wondering what your options are (or when it will be delivered).
First, there are two important distinctions: Special Orders (made by Muralidharan) and Pre-Orders (of regular stock inventory that has not been delivered yet). Here are the styles for each category and the appropriate updates that apply.
Pre-Orders styles:
• Nylon Bags
• Uganda line (Basketweave and Mudcloth, Faux Halves, Kwagala Leather)
The Pre-Orders are the bags that we referenced in our update email about the current manufacturing adventure we're having (if you did not receive it, you can see it here). If you're waiting for one of these styles, we want to offer you three options.:
-
Continue Waiting: Your bag has been sitting at the factory since July of last year, but it’s stuck in the middle of a dispute between companies. I can’t guarantee when it’ll be released. If you choose to keep waiting, we’ll update you when we learn more and will offer 25% credit toward our upcoming Kickstarter campaign.
-
Exchange for Kickstarter Credit (or website credit): You can exchange your current order for 125% of its value in Kickstarter credit. So, for example, a $100 order will earn you $125 toward our upcoming campaign.
-
Request a Refund: I completely understand if you’ve had enough and prefer a refund. While we’re processing these in phases, starting with the oldest orders, we’ll get to yours as soon as possible. We ask for your continued patience during this process.
Those are the options! Again, laying these out comes with a heap of appreciation, humility, and acknowledgement. We are making so many changes as we move forward with new campaigns. We hope you will stick with us. If not, we totally understand.
Special Orders styles:
- Paisley Leather
- Ikat Bags
- Ginny and Aurora Borealis
- "Limited" Leather Half Sash (Half Sash: Crinkled Black, Dijon, Dove Gray, Galaxy, Graffiti, Honey Marbled, Indigo, Ketchup, Manganese Violet, Midnight Metallic, Mustard, Nebula, Not So Bashful Blush, Patina, Pebbled Black, Pretty in Pink, Relish, Rhino, Rose Copper, White Python)
- Extras (Black, Black/Brown, Royal Purple, Navy, Brown)
If you are waiting on a Special Order, the good news is that they are coming soon and they are looking so beautiful!! If you are not in our community, I really recommend joining to keep up on the news and get all the sneak peeks of production. If you can't, that's okay too and we will try to keep our website more informative.
*******************************************************
The following is based on weekly (sometimes twice weekly) productions meetings with our manufacturer, Muralidharan. We also communicate with him daily via email and phone.
KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & SPECIAL ORDER DELIVERY UPDATES
(Please note that dates are subject to change based on manufacturing updates):
1. BUSINESS & PRODUCTION CHALLENGES
- Post-COVID labor shortages have made it harder to find and train skilled workers for leather craftsmanship.
- Custom leather sourcing issues, especially with specialized foils, embossing, and dyeing processes.
- Unexpected delays in material shipments, particularly from Italy, where specialized leather and embossing plates had to be produced.
- New transparency measures:
- Bi-weekly customer production meetings will now be public so customers can track their orders.
- A public production spreadsheet will be maintained to provide live updates.
- Customers can now use rewards points to reduce Kickstarter pledge costs.
2. SPECIAL ORDER BAG DELIVERY ESTIMATES
✅ Aurora & Ginny (Second Batch)
Status: Production is completed.
Cause of Delay: Foil application issues led to high material waste and had to be re-ordered from Italy.
New Shipping Date: Shipping to Sash early March.
✅ Paisley Collection
Status: Final production phase (hand-finishing in progress). Misty Blue is complete.
Cause of Delay: Paisley design requires a complex hand-tipping process.
Needed custom embossing plates from Italy (delayed in arrival).
New Shipping Estimates:
Misty Blue: Shipping mid-March. Waiting for bulk shipment to consolidate freight costs.
Other colors (Black, Gray, Tan, Brown, Patina series): After Misty Blue is fully completed.
✅ Extras (Leftover Special Order Bags)
Status: All styles EXCEPT BLACK are completed.
Cause of Delay: Waiting for bulk shipments to consolidate freight costs.
New Shipping Date: Shipping to Sash early March.
🟡 Ikat Collection (Ikat Bags)
Status: In pre-production, sewing has not started yet.
Cause of Delay: Requires highly skilled labor to align the Ikat patterns correctly.
Team is prioritizing Paisley production before shifting focus.
Sewing Start Date: As soon as Paisley production is finished.
New Shipping Estimate: No confirmed date yet, but it will follow Paisley shipments.
🟡 Limited Leather Half-Sashes
Status: Ongoing production (small batch releases). These styles are done. Galaxy, Graffiti, Patina Metallic, Rose Copper, Indigo Metallic, Nebula, Pebbled Black, Crinkled Black, Aqua Marble, Dove Gray, White Python, and Rhino Gray
Challenges: Limited production capacity (due to leather processing constraints).
Each leather type requires different handling, slowing production.
New Shipping Estimate: Rolling shipments as production is completed.
No firm date, but progress is ongoing.
3. BUSINESS STRATEGY & CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
- Kickstarter Campaign: Customers will be able to design their own bags with mix-and-match leather and fabric choices.
- Manufacturing Optimization: Streamlining production by limiting lining, zipper, and hardware color variations for faster assembly.
- Customer-Driven Approach:
- New Production Tracking Tools to reduce frustration.
- Public meetings & spreadsheets will keep customers informed in real-time.
4. LEATHER CARE & QUALITY CONTROL
- “Naked Leather” products are handcrafted and do not have synthetic coatings—this makes them more luxurious but also requires special care.
- Some customers reported color bleeding, especially in reds and blues.
- Solution: Test leather conditioners on small areas first before applying them fully.
- Turquoise Egypt Collection Bags: Some batches had inconsistent dye fixation, causing increased color bleeding.
- Foil Leather Care:
- Foil does not fade, but excessive exposure to heat or bending may cause minor cracking over time.
- Foil layers were designed with a matching base color so that any potential wear is less noticeable.
5. FINAL TAKEAWAYS
- Aurora & Ginny: Shipping to Sash early March.
- Misty Blue Paisley: Shipping to Sash early March.
- Other Paisley Colors: After Misty Blue is completed.
- Extras: Completed styles shipping to Sash early March.
- Ikat Bags: Sewing starts after all Paisley styles are done.
- Limited Leather Half-Sashes: Completed styles shipping to Sash early March
- Customers can now track orders through public production meetings and a shared spreadsheet, making the process more transparent and efficient.
Click here to join our community and to get even more details about the Sash Bag Special Order process.