Why we are swapping Black Friday for Better Friday, and what it means for our Artisans.

Day (in blue) and Sony (in pink) unravelling a jumper by hand.

BEHIND THE PRICE TAG

As part of our Black Better Friday and Cyber Caring Monday campaign, we are exploring why fair pricing matters to small independent businesses and the people behind them.

THE POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP

Thanks to our talented, hard-working Artisans, we are able to offer to our customers the highest standards of quality and sustainability. In turn, Thread Tales offers a marketplace where our Artisans’ fine craftsmanship is justly valued and showcased, and our partners trust us to price the product of their work fairly to make sure everyone within the Thread Tales ecosystem keeps on prospering. The relationship between us and our partners is a positive feedback loop: we thrive off of benefiting each other.

OUR ARTISANS’ PERSPECTIVE: DEEPA KUNWAR

Last week Nay Win and Moe Moe shared what difference producing our Thread Tales silk face mask has made for them, their family and the weavers, seamstresses and embroidered of their community in Myanmar during these challenging times. This week we caught up with Deepa Kunwar from KPA cashmere. Deepa shares what doing business with Thread Tales means for her own business, what goes behind a fair price and what the survival of her family business means to her employees and their community. 

Deepa working alongside the women in her team. 

Let's get to know you: tell us about yourself, your business and what you do?
I run a cashmere manufacturing factory in Nepal producing various knitwear and woven products. I design most of the pieces myself and we work with private labels. All our cashmere sweaters, scarves and other accessories are made by hand, mostly by women. By producing everything under the same roof and sourcing our cashmere from sustainable farms, we create precious pieces that are not only beautiful, but also have meaning and purpose. 

How long does creating a single piece for our Recycled Cashmere collection take? How much work goes into it?
Since we do not shred the fibre to produce recycle cashmere, our process is comparatively longer, but it prevents cashmere from breaking, which maintains its quality intact. We unstitch overproduced cashmere sweaters or offcuts, unravel them and separate them according to their colour shades. This process alone takes almost the whole day as it has to be done very carefully. The yarn is then cleaned and reused to make a fresh garment. Dyeing usually comes before or after knitting the piece depending on the designs. So, the whole process of recycling cashmere and creating a new piece can take up to 3-4 days as every process is done manually.

What does working in partnership with Thread Tales means to you (and your team)? What difference does it make in yours and their life?
We work with brands from all over the world and what I admire about Thread Tales is the values that they stand for. Each of their designs are very well thought through and have a message behind them which makes them more special. The company has grown significantly over the years and I believe it is because of the new ideas in each collection. The new recycling project especially has helped us reuse the goods that would otherwise sit idle in the store. And most importantly, it has given work to our team members during these difficult times.

What does your craft and this work mean to you?
After finishing my education, I spent most of my time working in this business and it means everything to me to see it succeed and reach new heights. Being one of the very few women entrepreneur in this sector, I wish to help many women who come from different backgrounds and their families eventually making a significant impact in the country economically and socially.

It is a privilege for us to work with Deepa and her team, and to witness her dedication for her business and how much she cares for it as well as the people behind it.

Shop our recycled cashmere collection handmade in Deepa's workshop.