Photos Frederic C. Benson (Collection at the University of Wisconsin) I am grateful of foreigners like Fritz Benson who have documented the life of Lao people when they were working in Laos. I wonder how much we would remember the past if they have not...
Read moreMeet Julia Brennan, Caring for Textiles
There are always these wonderful encounters in life that bring you the warmth of a sunny day and friendship for life. Julia is one of these people. She cares as much for people as she cares for old and damaged textiles, the expertise for which she is...
Read moreBuying silk on Facebook
Even if you don't want to buy, connect to the several facebook stores that sell Lao costumes online. It is a good pulse of the creativity of Lao weavers and store owners who are ordering the costumes. They post by bunch of 30 or 50 photos. It can be the...
Read moreOradesign, fine Lao textiles
Anou Thammavong established Oradesign, a fine textile company based in Vientiane. He inherited his love for textiles from his grandmother gna mae Orady Souvannavong (she is my grand auntie too:)). His level of artistry is probably the same as Carol Cassidy....
Read moreFashionable wedding costumes
In the region, it is difficult to match the creativity of Lao weavers, in particular when it comes to wedding costumes. The quality of the silk, from China, the golden threads and the marriage of colors make them very unique. No wonder why there are so...
Read moreThe story of a 1964 wedding dress - sin kindong
Siphrachanh and Bousambhon wed on 21 April 1964 in Vientiane. The wedding dress was woven by Somdy Pathammavong using the finest silk threads (China?) and golden threads from Lyons, France. The wedding skirt, sin kindong, is red and golden, as was the...
Read moreWhere to find the silk dresses?
If you ask where to find the best silk dresses for wedding, many will say "mae Nouay" Souvannavong whose workshop is in KM3, Vat Nak in Vientiane. It has been for two or three generations already, starting with Oufonh Souvannavong and all the grand families...
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