Chin, the remote state in northwest Myanmar bordering Bangladesh and India was closed to foreigners until 2015. But now, as the government seeks to attract investment, several high-end companies have started working with Chin weavers to create unique fabrics for sale overseas.
In early 2017, British homeware company Kalinko began working with a group of Chin weavers to create high-quality products that appeal to international consumers.
This has involved very simple changes, such as having the weavers work side-by-side in order to achieve consistency in the patterns, weaving in a clean environment and combining traditional patterns with color combinations chosen by Kalinko.
UK-based non-government organisation Turquoise Mountain has also started working with weavers in Chin State. It recently held a workshop in Hakha, the state capital, on colour and raw materials, which the organisation believes are critical to opening up higher value markets.
Turquoise Mountain has also established a central ‘cut and sew’ workshop in Yangon that keeps a crucial part of the value chain within Myanmar and focuses on product development and quality control.
The organisation’s work with textiles in Chin State and in other parts of the country is partly funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) through its DaNa Facility, which has been instrumental in launching an investment drive in Chin State.
