Maison & Objet: Paris, here we come!

Last year, for our first participation in this trade show, we were represented by the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI). In September, exporters from Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia and Bangladesh will showcase their best products in the CBI pop-up exhibition in Hall 5A Unique & Eclectic, stand S82, at Maison & Objet in the Parc des Expositions, in Paris, France. It will be our first in person participation.

We’ve been busy completing our samples, photographing them and updating our 2022/23 Home Decor wholesale catalog. We’re getting there and can’t wait to share it with the world.  So, if you’re a designer or retailer and will be in Paris in September, stop by the Maison & Objet trade show and come say hello to Lear, our Head of Design & Production, and Valérie, our Head of Sales & Marketing!

If you can’t make it to Paris or you can’t wait and want to see a glimpse of what’s coming, explore our profile on MOM’s (Maison & Objet and More) website. Or email us to receive our 2022/23 Home Decor catalog.

Over and above silk wall hangings and cushion covers, for the past years, Ock Pop Tok has been developing a home decor range more suited for the modern home made from 100% handspun Lao cotton.

Spending more time at home, we should pay more attention to our decor…

Merging traditions from the east – the materials, techniques and motifs – with innovation from the west – the colors and simplified designs – we bring you a collection of rugs, cushion covers, table runners, placemats, blankets, throws, wall art and… scarves and shawls. The perfect balance between tradition and innovation, something for everyone to make a house a home…

Truth be told, we’ve been spending a lot more time at home these past couple of years. One more reason why we should pay more attention to our home decor and make sure our homes are more cozy than ever. Whether you’re looking for cushion covers to spruce up your couch, rugs and throws to add some warmth to your space or table runners and placemats to fancy up your dinner table, we have it all.

If you’ve been following us for a while – Ock Pop Tok will celebrate its 22nd anniversary in October – you’ve most probably seen an evolution in our designs. We started our home decor journey back in 2000 with 100% silk wall hangings and bed runners.

While our work is still rooted in the textile traditions of Laos, we appreciate and nurture innovation in our products and designs. Merging traditions from the east with innovation from the west has allowed us over the last 22 years to not only elevate the profile of Lao textiles but also contribute to its preservation.

We’ve been trying all along to bring two worlds together, honoring the fact that culture evolves and there is a need for an exchange of knowledge and ideas. Hence why we’ve always been open to feedback from customers visiting us in Luang Prabang. While many were happy to bring home a piece of traditional Lao textile in silk to adorn their walls, many expressed interest in our handspun cotton and more useful products.

This brings us to today and our 100% cotton home decor collection which we will be showcasing at Maison & Objet in Paris. We use 100% handspun cotton sourced from artisans we work with through our Village Weavers Project in Ban Nayang, north of Luang Prabang,  and Ban Houeyhok, in Oudomxay. You can have a look at how it’s made here.

As for the techniques, we mostly use the interlocking tapestry technique for our home decor collection. This technique requires the weaver to make the pattern up as she goes along. The weaver creates the motif by adding colored yarns by hand. Where sections of color meet, the pattern threads are twisted (interlocked) around each other, locking them together so they don’t come loose. This technique makes beautiful rugs, cushion covers, table runners and placemats.

But for our throws and blankets, we favor the plain weave technique and for our first in person participation at Maison & Objet in Paris, we decided to use our cushion covers to showcase the five wonderful techniques our weavers master, namely: ikat, continuous supplementary weft weaving, discontinuous supplementary weft weaving, interlocking tapestry and plain weave.

The patterns are inspired by motifs typically seen on Lao sinhs, or skirts. However, since the pattern is usually very small, for this collection we’ve increased the ratio and simplified the designs to create striking bold designs and a more modern look. Same goes for the colors. We let go of the traditional reds for more subtle and trendy colors.

So, what do you think of this evolution?

If you’re a designer or retailer and would like to meet us at Maison & Objet in Paris in September or receive our 2022/23 Home Decor catalog, email us on [email protected].

If you’re an individual customer and would like us to include some similar products on our webshop, email us on [email protected].