Here are a few pics to show the varied work and people I meet day to day on my recent trip to Nepal. Every day is different, on a short whirlwind 3 week trip, scooting around between the 11 producer groups I work with in the Kathmandu Valley.
Trekking in Nepal is glorious! An experience I recommend to everyone who expresses an interest in travelling there. I am not an avid walker or outdoors fanatic but over the years have really appreciated getting out of Kathmandu and up into the Himalayas.
For our collection this year, we were mainly inspired by the skills of the artisans we work with. I love the mix of materials and wanted to develop more products with a mix of handmade materials as well as authentic Nepali fabrics.
It may be chaotic, busy and noisy but there is a great charm to Kathmandu, it is my home from home! Many people who visit want to get straight out to the mountains or yoga retreat or are recouping after a long trek.
The lokta paper has been used for centuries in Nepal, known for its durability and resistance to tearing, with the earliest surviving document being the ‘Karanya Buha Sutra’ Buddhist text, estimated at between 1000-1900 years old!
Urmila is our master knitter who finalised all the samples with us, and she organises a group of 19 home-knitters who work remotely to fit around their family commitments.
