Collection woven by the Cils ethnic group of Da Bien Lat in central Vietnam.

Approach
slow fashion

The cooperative created by Opportunity for Women operates in a slow fashion approach, the cooperative dyes cotton (local supplier) from ancestral plants and recipes, then weaves it by hand using the backstrap method: no loom, just pieces of wood (backstrap weaving)!

Remuneration
just

As in all Opportunity for Women weaving programs, weavers are paid per order following an assessment of the time taken to complete each step (depending on the difficulty of the design) and the average local wage.

What
products?

This ethnic group creates the Niamsa collection.

There are 3 shades of color: blue, gray, yellow & orange and around ten traditional patterns.

THE
patterns
  • Pattern 1

    Color: Orange, blue

    Material: Cotton

    Reason: "Na Guôl" means leaf in the Cils language

  • Pattern 2

    Color: Orange blue

    Material: Cotton

    Motif: "Ranh me, ranh con, ranh chau", this represents the matriarchal culture: grandmother, mother and daughter

  • Pattern 3

    Color: Green

    Material: Cotton

    Pattern: Belly of a gecko, "Klông pôp" in the Cils language

  • Pattern 4

    Color: Orange

    Material: Cotton

    Motif: "Kar wih" in the Cils language, it represents a tool for cutting tall grass

  • Pattern 5

    Color: Blue

    Material: Cotton

    Motif: "Kar wih" in the Cils language, it represents a tool for cutting tall grass

  • Pattern 6

    Color: Blue

    Material: Cotton

    Pattern: "nha sra" palm leaf (the one used to make a Vietnamese hat)

  • Pattern 7

    Color: Yellow, orange, blue

    Material: Cotton

    Reason: Invented by K'Gut
THE
colors
  • Green
  • Blue
  • Orange
  • YELLOW
  • Gray
Who are
the weavers?

The Cils ethnic group is a matriarchal society, children are named after their mother and women ask men to marry them. Men have "Ha" in front of their name and women "K". For marriage, women traditionally give buffalo to their husband's family, as well as jewelry and oi (traditional clothing). The man will come to live with his wife's family and work in the fields of his legal family.

Cils group is very famous for its weaving for centuries.

Their
faces
  • KGut
  • K'Glong
  • K'Don
  • K'Brang
  • K'Pang
  • K'Loi
  • K'Tang
  • Ga Mang
  • K'Riêng
Sustain
this cooperative
  • Eco-responsible

    Handicrafts from here and elsewhere

  • Community involvement

    We support women in Southeast Asia

  • Secure payment

    Order and pay securely online

  • Fast delivery

    Fast delivery from Monday to Friday in France and Europe