turquoise mountain /April 2016-May 2018. Yangon, Myanmar

Researching and Prototyping Textiles, Strengthening Skills and Identity

Led a team conducting design research into needs and opportunities for the traditional textile market in Myanmar in order to identify a model to strengthen skills, connect to markets and provide design support to weavers. This included the development of a capsule fashion collection. The findings directly informed a $500K project won by Turquoise Mountain Myanmar.

Myanmar’s textile heritage is rich and diverse and, although it has been influenced by neighbouring countries, it carries distinctive traditions within its vast variety of designs and patterns. Textiles serve as a representation of the culture and identity of different ethnic groups across the country. It's a craft that highly benefits women in rural areas; able to earn an income while working from home, looking after their families and navigating the seasonal nature of farm labour. The skills and markets are changing quickly as Myanmar opens up to more trade and mechanisation.

With the Turquoise Mountain Crafts team, I led a collaborative research, design and ideation process to explore a model to strengthen skills, connect to markets and provide design support to weavers and actors within the handwoven textile industry.

We explored the provenance and farming of raw materials, such as cotton and dyes; the socio economic situations of weavers, brokers, tailors and sellers within the textile production network; the cultural value and relevance of textiles for different stakeholders; the technology and techniques used across the sector; the quality of products and styles of design; and the access to and characteristics of markets. As part of the research we conducted a specific case study on silk production.

Over time, this iterative, information gathering process highlighted potential opportunities for working with artisans and led to a prototyping phase. We collaborated with Sula, an international designer, weavers, textile sector leaders and seamstresses in Yangon to launch a capsule fashion collection. Running a pilot project allowed us to grasp the most critical challenges obstructing successful sustainable and scalable traditional textile production.

Ultimately this process of research and prototyping directly  informed the objectives and design of of a $500K project won by Turquoise Mountain Myanmar in March 2018. The project aims to create a profitable social enterprise reaching high value finished product textile markets. It includes creating the finishing workshops, training centres and regional handwoven hubs to support and bring opportunities to over 200 artisans, 150 of whom will be women artisans from Myanmar's underserved and conflict affected ethnic communities. You can read more on Turquoise Mountain here and find a story on Exposure.