It has been a whirlwind of a month since I arrived at the Vientiane Airport via a little propeller engine paper airplane. I boarded the plane with a backpack containing only some toiletries, a few tee-shirts, a stack of books, and no plan except the hope to learn about Lao dyeing and weaving traditions. 

After working in the merchandising department of a large fashion accessories company in New York City my first two years out of college, I became determined to learn about sustainable textiles. Just after departing from my first job, I started a small company designing and selling reusable canvas tote bags, and later, took a temporary job as the marketing manager at another small business in order to save up for this extended research trip.

Rassanikone Nanong posts with villagers she has trained as weavers. (Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Suda)

Now I am finally here, living in Vientiane, Laos. I found a volunteer position working for Rassanikone Nanong, better known as Madame Nikone. Arriving with little more than nothing, my stay will end with my sketches brought to life by adept weavers and tailors who have learned their skills through their deeply rooted heritage. 

For the past several weeks, I’ve been learning about traditional clothmaking techniques while designing four clothing and accessory collections for the fashion shows held during the Lao Handicrafts Festival, from November 1 to 5 — the closest thing to any sort of “fashion week” in Laos, I’ve come to realize.  

My first morning in the Nikone Handcraft Center weaving studio and showroom introduced me to Madame Nikone herself, an experienced weaver and businesswoman who was eager for me to engage with the community and traditional textile-making processes. She is the president of the Lao Handicrafts Association (LHA) and owner of a textile company that sells handmade naturally dyed woven fabrics. 

Madame Nikone’s work has taken her all over the world, from decorating a home in London to providing custom-made home furnishings to the Malaysian Royal Family. In 1998 she won the U.N. Award in Recognition of “Significant Development Achievement for Sustainable Human Development and Poverty Eradication” through her work as president of the Lao Handicrafts Association. The award honored her development and promotion of Lao handicrafts as a viable economic opportunity for poor villagers throughout Laos. She is also on the board of Aid to Artisans, the economic development NGO that pairs craft workers with international markets for their goods.

All these accomplishments and her company doesn’t even have a website. However, technology in fabric remains a threat to Lao tradition. In Laos and much of southeast Asia, the threat of cheaper synthetic fibers and dyes looms large. However, small businesses like Nikone remain committed to the natural, traditional methods that have been intrisic to their heritage for thousands of years. Here, the idea of sustainable textiles and fashion is not new. The threat of synthetics, on the other hand, is a more recent development.

Nikone preserves Lao culture in several ways. The business employs 50 weavers and dyers at the Nikone Center and another 87 weavers who work from their own homes. In addition to the societal benefits, the weavers can earn more money working here than many Lao office jobs can offer. Together they produce scores of scarves, home accessories, and wall hangings sold primarily in France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore. 

In the ten years since Madame Nikone founded the LHA, handicrafts have enjoyed some increased attention in the culture. Last year the Lao government announced that November 1 would be Lao Handicrafts Day. The festival itself has expanded to include handicraft demonstrations and this year featured a seminar on loans presented by three Lao banks.

Madame Nikone is primarily working to help small handicraft entrepreneurs finance their own businesses. She is currently seeking microfinance support from local banks and possibly international organizations as well as design and quality assurance direction to help open these goods to a wider market.

The business is sustainable in a well-rounded way, from the environment to labor — a local production model that helps local communities and serves both local and international consumer bases. Globalization at its finest.

Elizabeth Suda is the owner of Greensacs, a Brooklyn-based business that supplies reusable tote bags to businesses and organizations that want to “go green.” She can be contacted at elizabeth@agreenmood.com.