Eastern Weft launches Laotian silk, recycled leather collection

Australia's Eastern Weft is folding leather totes from raw kangaroo skins under the ancient techniques of Japanese origami. The fashion label takes care to preserve authenticity. It uses a minimal resin coating to retain the hand of raw leather and each one of their luxury bags are finished using organic aniline dyes which are more susceptible to staining and fading.In its latest release, the brand's co-founder, Sanixay, has collaborated with designers Takahiro Shirai and Stephanie Said - two creatives who have both designed for fellow luxury designer, Akira Isogawa - to launch the T-S collection.T-S is all about zero-waste manufacturing and the recycling of vintage fabrics: think delicate organic mulberry silks handwoven in Laos by ethnic minority hill tribes; and reclaimed leather scraps, covered with traditional neon embroidery. Moreover, Vientiane scarfs spun by the thread of silkworms fed on sweet potato, tapioca and papaya, then hand-dyed in Australia using turmeric or berries scavenged from local back yards. And Sanixay has even sifted religiously through the bins of local tanneries to be as ethical and rejuvenating as possible.“I went to the source of everything. We don’t do mass production; our production line is completely transparent,” Sanixay told the Australian. “Our future is in the past; we are using these old techniques and patterns to keep them alive and making sure we can create everything from scratch.”Born from Laotian parents, Sanixay is the youngest of 13 children and fled to Australia with her father and mother as a newborn in the 1970s during communism. "Finish it or put it away” was a saying Sanixay grew up with and is something she takes into her designs. The T-S collection is also about rescuing the textile craft of Laos while catering to the globally-aware Australian shopper. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Laos, most of South East Asia became more open. Sanixay built a boarding house in Vientiane back in 2004. With the infrastructure in place she hopes to continue operating her weaving establishment for Laotian women. "These villages were so remote, there were no local markets to buy fabric or blankets so the women had to create their own, to clothe and keep their families warm," says Saxinay."They taught me how to set up a loom and after several weeks I had woven 2m of fabric to make my own skirt."There are 70 different ethnic groups in Laos and each with their own textile techniques. Sanixy cherishes and promotes each method by encouraging each girl to bring her own piece of expertise to the design process. The locals built a loom from old bits of bamboo and teak and finished 60 pieces after months of weaving, which Sanixay was determined to sell in Australia to give back to the community. She sold everything within a month to several boutiques.In the beginning, Eastern Weft's production line was solely in Laos and focused only on fabrics. But now, the materials are woven in Laos and dyed in Australia since the global financial crisis hit.Now 2014, Sanixay has 30 weavers at the boarding house and 50 people in her production process including dyers and silk growers. And aside from the boutiques, Eastern Weft sells to international and local buyers online. Key fashion pieces bearing the Eastern Weft name include a mulberry silk scarf ($165); the Takahiro Trifold handbag ($480); and the Harriet clutch ($180). For homewares, mangosteen-dyed cushions made from handspun Laos hemp go for $160.Eastern Weft's leather goods are mostly tanned leather. The tanning process is used on animal rawhide and skin -mostly cattle hide with the occasional sheep and kangaroo, which are of a higher grade. Leather is tanned using traditional methods in order to maintain its natural beauty and soft feel. Over time, the leather is designed to acquire a patina and may also darken due to the oils from skin and direct sunlight, further enhancing the natural look of each Eastern Weft handbag. Sanixay says Eastern Weft wouldn't be the same without the kindness of Australian businesses and individuals. It was "the people I meet everyday who let me raid their yard of plants and flowers."