Lao Textiles (Laos)

Lao Textiles is a company located in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Founded in 1990 by American Carol Cassidy, the company specializes in creating woven art using 100 percent hand-woven silk. Carol and her team of 40 Lao artisans produce a range of exquisitely crafted products, including wall hangings, scarves, shawls, and custom furnishing fabrics. Their pieces are displayed in galleries and museums throughout the United States, such as The Textile Museum in Washington, DC, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Carol Cassidy has been weaving since she was 17 years old and arrived in Laos in 1989 as a textile expert with the United Nations Development Programme. She was inspired by the rich history of weaving and design motifs in Laos, leading her to start Lao Textiles. The company is located in a refurbished French colonial mansion in downtown Vientiane and blends Carol's artistry with ancient local techniques and traditions to create contemporary woven art. The predominantly female team of weavers use hybrid looms, designed by Carol herself, to produce intricate brocade, ikat, and tapestry textiles. The hand-crafted pieces are known for their labor-intensive process, with wall hangings often taking four months to complete and only two centimeters woven per day on the most complex designs.