Handmade jewelry enabling women
in Northern Vietnam to continue traditional textile production processes
from plant to product.
By paying the asking price of the artisans, we contribute in helping to build a sustainable lifestyle for the women and their families.
THE PEOPLE
Our artisans are a part of a tribe called the Black Hmong. The Hmong are a people group that are indigenous to the mountain regions of northern Vietnam and Laos. The average Hmong woman will make one set of clothes for her family every year. It is very complicated, intricate, design oriented, and time consuming. They use local indigo plants to dye the fabric and they batik and embroider each piece by hand. Each piece is individual, unique and original. These women are designers, and all together masters of the art of creating beautiful textiles. Sapa Designs aims to provide a flexible and reliable source of income for our artisans while working to preserve their beautiful traditions.
The Hmong women pride themselves on creating beautifully detailed fabrics as a form of self expression and storytelling. Sapa Designs brings you the intricate creations from the hands of women who are devoted to their craft.
SUSTAINABILITY
We pay the women a fair amount for their time and work, helping them maintain their traditional practices.
We aim to provide a sustainable income for our artisans by participating in maintaining their beautiful lifestyle. They decide what their time is worth. Our artisans determine what each item should cost based on the time and effort it took them to create it.
We ensure a production process that focuses on the traditions of the women who have been making textiles for years. Our artisans use home grown materials from the mountains of Northern Vietnam whenever possible. The women are also farmers who plant and harvest hemp for weaving and grow indigo for dyeing.
Our artisans use 100% organic cotton, hemp, and indigo dye for the production of our jewelry resulting in better quality pieces and little impact on the earth. All batik is handmade with organic beeswax and homegrown organic indigo. All other colors are sourced from local markets. Embroidery is done entirely by hand without the use of machines. Our artisans take pride in their work and individually hand-make each piece with care.
Creating textiles is an alternative source of income for the women but in order for it to be sustainable, the women must be paid a fair wage. Sapa Designs pays a fair price which allows the women to continue making textiles in the traditional way, with natural fibers, dyeing with natural indigo, and stitching by hand.
YOUR PURCHASE
We encourage purposeful purchasing by providing jewelry with meaning that is made to last in hopes of doing more with less. Purchase with confidence, knowing you are having a positive impact on the artisans involved and the world around you.
MADE BY HAND IN VIETNAM - COLLABORATIVELY DESIGNED - HOME BASED IN SAN DIEGO, CA