Organza, silk in its rawest form is a great canvas to showcase intricate supplementary weft motifs. It still has sericin – a natural protective protein on silk fibres – that gives it a stiff texture.
You all know and love our organza wall hangings, but did you know that sometimes, we are left with remnants ? Though beautiful, we just did not know what to do with them…
That was before we met our friends from Tremani! In their Luang Prabang workshop, Herman, who is from Belgium, and Phet, who is Lao, make beautiful jewelry – bracelets, earrings, necklaces, among others – also from remnants of the finest wood.
We had seen – and loved – their products when they participated in our Folk Art Market Fair in February. This gave our co-founder Veo the opportunity to pursue the conversation around a collaborative collection.
Herman and Phet were wonderful collaborators. Their savoir-faire made the process super smooth.
This is how the idea of merging our savoir-faire all the while pursuing our commitment to improve our environmental practices in our production chain was born. Sure, we could have produced new textiles to be used in this collection. But we liked the idea of repurposing the organza remnants. One, it allowed us to upcycle beautiful textiles and two, for the creative challenge it represented to adapt the jewelry design to the existing textiles.
Herman and Phet were wonderful collaborators. Their savoir-faire made the process super smooth. Not only are they both very creative but they know their craft so well that we did not lose time trying to figure out things. They knew exactly what could work – technically speaking – and knew immediately – most of the time – which bracelet, earring or necklace would be the perfect match for our textiles.
Tremani and Ock Pop Tok share similar values. Funny thing, when Herman came to Laos, he even thought of calling his brand East Meets West and was told that there was already a brand whose meaning in Lao was East Meets West (Ock Pop Tok, of course!). This anecdote shows that he too, with his business partner Phet, wanted to mix designs from the west with the savoir-faire and traditions from the east.
We truly hope that you enjoy this zero waste collaborative collection featuring earrings, bracelets and necklaces. You will recognise some of the famous Lao motifs like the jasmine flower, ko keyo or zigzag.
Let’s have a look…
For example, this set of earrings and necklace features the Ko Keyo motif. It is inspired by rice harvesting, more specifically the use of traditional rice harvesting tools like koh or koh keiw. The daily life of many Tai Lue families revolves around rice farming, hence why it’s a popular motif. This set will add flair and uniqueness to any outfit!
In case you were wondering, Bai Mai in Lao means leaf. And the flowy curve of this pair of earrings not only makes it super elegant but it is also reminiscent of a leaf. In addition to motifs which are products of the weavers’ imagination drawn from folk tales, we also see motifs replicating plants. They include flowers and leaves, vines, young stems, petals and seeds, and the surrounding natural environment.
This bracelet features the zigzag motif. Very popular in Lao textiles, it can be found in many of our textiles and is often associated with mountains or running water (rivers). Due to the handmade nature of this product, the shade of wood varies. Add a little je ne sais quoi to your outfit with this bracelet and a matching pair of earrings!
You can shop the collection here!
More about Tremani
Tremani’s jewelry is made of thin layers of wood veneer that are glued in a mold. The result is a sturdy yet light wooden object, which forms the basis of a piece that they develop into a unique work of art. Glued in layers, wood veneer cannot crack. It is strong, resilient and lightweight at the same time.
The wood veneer they use comes from a veneer factory where it is processed for the furniture industry. They work with a wide selection of the finest grades of wood. Each piece is handmade and unique even though a mold is used.
For this collection, all the silver used is made in Laos. The other metal parts are made of copper or zinc with a flash coating, and are lead, nickel and cadmium free, as required by European standards.
You can visit their website to learn more about the brand!
Inspired? Let’s talk!
You’re a designer and you’re looking for artisans to bring your designs to life? You knocked on the right door! Not only do we sell our products wholesale but we also love working on custom orders for designers, brands, retailers… If you fall in any of these categories, we would love to work with you. Drop us an email on [email protected].
Other collaborations
We worked for months in 2020 with local brand Caruso Lao to develop an exclusive collection of bags for the Crowne Plaza’s gift shop, in Vientiane. It all started with a picture sent to us of an impressive textile showcasing the Naga in Crowne Plaza’s lobby. Our Design and Production team led by Mrs. Lear developed the pattern for a collection of six bags and scarves mixing organic handspun cotton and the finest Lao silk! A massive success since the launch!
We’re always looking for new partners, so…
