Eco-friendly fabrics

OMYOKI ethical bags are handmade in Nepal. These are bags combining fair trade, local and eco-responsible raw materials, and the work of women in difficulty. Their story is touching in many ways ... and their design made up of eco-friendly and traditional Nepalese fabrics and suede is out of the ordinary.

We discovered the NGO WSDO (Women's Skills Development Organization) a few years ago and were touched by this association created by a woman, for women. Women in Nepal very rarely have access to employment and when they flee a difficult marriage, lose their husbands or are repudiated, they easily fall into poverty, along with their children. WSDO offers a decent paying job at around five hundred women. A home weaving system has even been put in place so that many of them can continue to take care of their children more easily. The different workshops go from the dyeing of wool to spinning, then to weaving, sewing, storage, and sale. Women have access to simple or more complex tasks, gain skills over time and are pushed up the ranks. WSDO was created in 1975 by Madame Ramkali, with a few women initially, then evolved into a larger organization and a model for other structures in Nepal. All their handbags, clutches, tote bags are made with local materials and natural dyes or chemical dyes but standardized and quality. Their manufacturing process is as environmentally friendly as possible and all scraps are recycled.

The materials used are traditional ethnic fabrics from Nepal. The thick outer weaving parts and linings are 100% handmade using cotton imported from India (mainly fair trade raw materials, but also from unfair suppliers from disadvantaged and economically difficult environments). Other parts are made of allo nettle wool that grows in the foothills of the Himalayas.

The fabrics are woven by Nepalese women from disadvantaged backgrounds, using simple and age-old methods. The fabrics are made from A to Z, that is to say from the spinning of cotton, to the color, and to weaving.

The dyes are eco-responsible. The bags and pouches are made of fabrics dyed in two ways, with:

• natural dyes for light and pastel shades
• AZO-FREE chemical dyes for black or bright colors. AZO-FREE class dyes are free of heavy metals and hazardous chemicals. The environmental risks in the country of production are thus limited and the wearing of articles on the skin is safe for health.