Empowering
EMBROIDERY
14 APRI L 2 0 1 8
Joanna Choi, the 35-year-old coowner
of the online shop Bordahan
Embroidery (bordahanembroidery.
com), runs her business
from Astoria while her mother,
Ludia Kim, leads production of
the crafts in the Philippines. The
mother-daughter team provides fair
wages to disadvantaged women who
hand-embroider the goods featured on
the site.
“Empowering women is so important
because it really can have a lasting
impact on not just the lives of the
women, but in the lives of their children
and their families,” Choi said. “The effect
that empowered women can have on the
lives of those around them is something
really special, and something we’re super
passionate about.”
Bordahan has an eclectic array of
handmade creations including tote bags,
framed embroidery, kiss lock floral purses,
decorative throw pillows, bookmarks,
embroidered fabric wall calendars and
jewelry. The shop is organized by price
point and even includes categories such
as Hostess Gifts, Sorority Corner, Travel
Gifts and a Wedding Collection.
Choi and Kim first started selling their
goods in October of 2015, after Kim
(who was a florist by trade) retired in
the Philippines and saw a need for jobs
and industry in the Manila community.
She taught herself how to embroider
and passed on the craft to the Philippine
women she employs — four or five women
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
By ALLISON KRIDLE
For some people, shopping can feel like a therapy session.
It feels good to put your hard-earned money toward something
you love or to find the perfect gift. That’s all well and
good, but imagine buying a lovely, handcrafted product that
you know was sustainably made, with a portion of your money
going to a good cause like fair wages for women and their
children. We’re here to tell you that this charitable shopping
experience exists, and it’s closer than you think.