FASHION TO FIBRES

THESE THREADS CAPTURE MORE THAN JUST LAOTIAN FABRICS, DISCOVERS JOANNA HARRIS, AS SHE EXPLORES THE RECENT RENAISSANCE OF LUANG PRABANG'S TEXTILES

IN the palm tree paradise of Luang Prabang, the ancient rhythmic sounds of hand-looms can still be heard – for textiles are synonymous with Laotian culture, be it the exquisite hand embroidery of the Hmong or the intricate weaves of the Tai Deng and Tai Dam ethnic groups.

From the rafters of shophouses to the pavements of the night market, colourful fabrics jostle for attention in Laos’ former royal capital. Here is a city under a textile siege. Where is it coming from?

SPINNING SILK

Within a leafy garden on the banks of the Mekong, Veomanee Duangdala and her team of local weavers are working on a collection of fabrics that are destined for the streets of Tokyo. Happy banter and the melodic clackety-clack of hand-looms contrast with industry sounds by the river, where trucks and trawlers are removing sand and shingle for construction.

Veomanee, a very stylish 20-something and weaver since she was eight years old, is explaining to her weaving team why using hand-spun Laotian silk instead of machine-produced Vietnamese or Thai yarns is so important. The reasoning translates along these lines:

Laotian silk is a better quality than the alternatives, absorbs dye with a richness that cannot be achieved with a more consistent machine thread, and is softer to the touch, making it more comfortable. Produced on a small scale and highly sought after, it is also sells at higher prices.

But why do the weavers need to be educated at all on the greatness of their own local silk?

Explains Veomanee, “Because it’s trickier to weave. My weavers prefer Vietnamese silk, but I want to fight for the authenticity of Laotian textiles. In the future, our country’s textiles will be known again for their excellent quality.”

AUTHENTIC QUALITY

In the days when Laos was run by a monarchy, Luang Prabang was home to whole families of skilled weavers and embroiderers that produced fabrics for the royal court.

Highly valued, knowledgeable collectors still scour the country for antique items and quality reproductions of yesteryear. The recent influx of cheap, imported synthetic materials and dyes has meant that weavers are now opting for lower-cost alternatives. Nowhere is this more prevalent than at the bustling night market, where the bargain prices reflect this current trend.

However, a renaissance has begun, resulting in a resurgence in the production of quality Laotian textiles. From the mountainous jungles of Northern Laos to the main streets of the larger cities, the fruits of this revival can be found everywhere.

There are a few key players involved. Many, like Carol Cassidy, are based in Vientiane, while others work alongside development agencies such as the US AID-funded Consortium Project. Primarily involved in sericulture, this organisation also trains weavers in the art of natural dying, enriching the lives of over 1,000 families.

WHERE TO GO

Fibre2Fabric, 71 Ban Vat Nong, tel +856 (0)71 254761, www.fibre2fabric.org Mrs Bang On’s Lao Textiles Natural Dyes, House 2, Ban Xan Khong, tel +856 (0)71 252803 Mulberries, above Joma Café on Bhao Fa Ngum Road, Ban Wat That, tel +856 (0)71 254594 OckPopTok Textile Gallery and Weaving School, 73/5 Ban Vat Nong, tel +856 (0)71 253219 The Blue House, Sakkarine Road, Ban Wat Sene, tel +856 (0)71 252383 Lao Traditional Weaving Antique Collection at Vanvisa Guesthouse, 42/2 Ban Wat That, tel +856 (0)71 212925

TRADITIONAL TAPESTRY

A former chemistry teacher turned textile philanthropist, Mrs Vandala Amphayphone works with over 50 villages in the same region. Vandala’s mother herself was a weaver for the royal family who had to move south to Savannakhet after the monarch was abolished.

In 1988, Vandala returned to Luang Prabang to help rekindle the diminishing art. She now produces hand-spun cotton items such as skirts and tableware.

“I worked hard with cotton-spinners to show them how to create a thicker, less consistent thread. It’s more difficult to spin, but the texture is so good for clothing. It is much softer,” explains Vandala.

Her textiles parade traditional tapestry motifs of flying birds, crabs and various other Lao designs. Her celebrated collection of sihns (the length of fabric worn as a skirt by Laotian women) – on display at Vanvisa Guesthouse – is particularly impressive.

Vandala’s preservation efforts have been duly acknowledged by her recent appointment as Director of the Luang Prabang Handicraft Association.

The 30-over members exhibit their work at The Blue House and aim to promote traditional crafts.

“It’s very difficult to compete with the Thais and Vietnamese,” observes Vandala. “Laos is a small country with much fewer people. We can’t and shouldn’t want to mass-produce. What we can do is work on producing high-quality handmade items.”

She adds, “The night market along Sisavangvong Road in Luang Prabang is wonderful as it provides an economy for people with no access to the tourist market, but it needs to be regulated. It’s important to work with these artisans to encourage top craftsmanship using Laotian materials. This is something that I am working on.”

FASHION FORMULA

Nobel Peace Prize nominee Mrs Khommaly Chanthavong heads a group known as Mulberries. The cooperative trains villagers in silk cultivation and natural dyes, while a small team of foreigners work alongside the Laotian weavers, assisting with designs aimed at the western fashion market. Their collection of clothing and accessories are sold via outlets in Vientiane and Luang Prabang.

Khommaly started this project in 1976, nine years after fleeing from the perils of war. “My dream was to provide opportunities for women and their children,” she says. This ambition appears to have been achieved; Mulberries currently works with several hundred villages in Northern Laos.

THEADING THROUGH CULTURE

Every night at the market, sellers and producers from all over Northern Laos unfold their colourful, handmade textiles, to the delight of enthused bargain-hunters.

Veomanee, Vandala’s deputy, describes it as “the face” of Luang Prabang.

“It is quite incredible to see people from many ethnic diversities sitting next to each other, displaying what is essentially their cultural heritage,” she says.

The daughter of a locally renowned weaver, Veomanee set up her own textile design gallery in 2000.

“The idea behind OckPopTok [East meets West] is to reflect Laos’ dynamic culture. Our culture is evolving and as our society develops, we are pulled in many directions. This is a good thing, but we must continue to maintain a strong connection to our heritage – whether it be through textiles or customs or anything else.”

In an effort to bridge the information gap between artisan and textile enthusiast, Veomanee recently founded two different but much-needed entities: the OckPopTok Weaving School and Fibre2Fabric Gallery.

The weaving school offers comprehensive classes in using natural dyes and weaving techniques specific to Laos, with lessons conducted in the workshop on the banks of the Mekong and lunch in the garden.

Fibre2Fabric Gallery curates three exhibitions a year. Currently showing is “The Silk Road: From Worms to Nagas” – the Naga is a symbolic motif found in many art forms in Lao – which offers a general look at the whole weaving process from sericulture to pattern-making. Most importantly, the new gallery demonstrates the cultural significance of textiles – to learn about textiles is to really learn about Lao culture.

QUALITY CHECKLIST

• Laotian silk is softer and less shiny than Vietnamese or Thai silk.
• Rub the textile in question on a white cloth. If it stains, it is not colour-fast and the colours will run.
• Look behind the textile to check that excess threads have been tied off properly.

FABRIC OF LAOS

Last year, Veomanee and her team worked with villages from Luang Namtha Province in northern Laos to produce a small collection of modern Laotian clothing embellished with traditional Ahka and Mussur embroidery techniques. The collaboration resulted in stunning handwoven silk jackets cut on the basis of antique Laotian clothing.

This collection is on display at Veomanee’s gallery alongside beautiful textiles, clothing and homewares featuring a range of design influences – from traditional styles to the ultra-modern.

Pieces have been sold to collectors from all over the world, including pop star Kylie Minogue. Individuals such as Veomanee are clearly playing important roles in protecting the country’s heritage and putting the fashion back into the fabrics of Laos.

THE SILK ROAD

• In the cool climate of northern Laos, millions of silk worms eat their way through piles of mulberry tree leaves, kept under stilted wooden houses in bamboo baskets. The cocoons they create are ultimately boiled and spun to create silk.
• About 10kg of silk worms produce 1kg of raw silk yarn. This raw silk is, in turn, boiled, dyed, spun and then woven into one of an infinite number of designs.
• The motifs of Laotian textiles draw their inspiration from various aspects of nature, religion and mythology. Mythical water serpents, known as nagas, intermingle with chickens, flowers, lightning bolts and a whole host of other entities from local culture. These patterns and corresponding skills are passed down from mother to daughter and, in some villages, make a girl far more attractive marriage material.
• The technology behind the textiles has changed very little over hundreds of years. The weavers themselves make the looms; rickety wooden frames tangled in webs of silk and cotton. The natural dyes are created from sources such as barks, leaves, insect wax and fruit. Each family has their own secret recipes of producing silk.