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EasternWEFT

Samorn Sanixay is a remarkable woman. Her company, Eastern Weft, was set up as a means to not only help provide an income for disadvantaged young women but to keep alive the art of weaving which is slowly dying as a result of globalisation and mass production.
This cooperative now employs around 60 local people, provides training, education and medical care whilst keeping the ecological footprint of production down to the bare minimum.

Eastern Weft uses traditional weaving methods, locally produced silk, hemp and cotton and natural dyes such as leaves, bark and flowers. The woven material produced is of exceptionally high quality, providing a refreshing alternative to the mass produced synthetic goods becoming increasingly common in the shops. As a result, the fabrics, scarves and clothes look as good on your wall as they do on your body.

The quality and beauty of these fabrics has been recognized by international designers, which is another story in itself.

Born in Laos, Samorn and her family fled the war and unsettlement in their country, and were held in a refugee camp before coming to Australia where she grew up. In 2002, she had the opportunity to return to her birth place. Her husband was offered the role as the United Nations Regional Coordinator on Human Trafficking based in Vientiane, Laos. Samorn worked as a volunteer teaching English to monks in the local village temple. Roaming the markets for fabrics to make clothes for herself, Samorn met master weaver Khaisy Sophabmixay who had a small stall selling antique clothes and fabrics. Khaisy agreed to become Samorn’s weaving instructor.

Later Samorn began working with UNICEF and traveled to remote villages where she was exposed to real poverty. At this time the tourism industry in South East Asia was hit by the SARS virus and Avian influenza. Khaisy and many others who relied on tourists for their income suffered greatly.

Samorn was deeply affected by these events and approached Kaisy about starting a weaving cooperative. The aim being to use Khaisy’s weaving skills to create hand-woven silk of the highest quality for the western market, at the same time creating employment for disadvantaged yet highly skilled weavers, many of whom have been orphaned, or are victims of bond and slave labour.

With very little money they built a boarding house for the weavers and purchased old looms from a rundown weaving factory.

Eastern Weft is committed to improving the social and economic progress of the weavers through fair pay for labour and is a member of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand.

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