Studio Visit: NORLHA

“If you want people to put out their enthusiasm, you have to give them some stability and confidence,” says Kim Yeshi. In 2007, she collaborated with her daughter Dechen in founding Norlha, a sustainable and ethical luxury fashion and soft furnishings label. Based in the Tibetan Plateau, it is the first atelier of its kind there to specialise in yak wool, and now employs 130 people, offering employment and settlement to people from the Tibetan nomad community. SLEEK spoke to Kim and Dechen to find out more.

SLEEK: In preparation for our talk, Kim, I read your book Norlha: The Beginnings of an Extraordinary Enterprise (2016), and in one chapter you describe a striking image of what the situation was like in the Tibetan Plateau. Could you talk a bit about the story behind Norlha and how it began?

KIM YESHI: I wanted to do something in Tibet because my husband is Tibetan. Everybody always talked about nomads and how they were always having a hard time. So the first trip I made was in 2006, and I realised they had many resources but they were not using them in a way that’s compatible with the modern world – they were getting the short end of the stick. They were selling these precious raw materials for a low price, and families who didn’t have lots of animals were having a tough time getting by. That’s what caused this whole notion of having to migrate to get construction jobs somewhere. There was nothing to keep them at home. And this is something that happens in so many different areas, all over China – all over the world, actually. Therefore, the idea was to build a workshop in the village itself, employ people and make it viable. I had no idea what I was getting into [laughs]. It was kind of crazy, actually, and I dragged Dechen there with me, and she followed happily.

But you know, nothing had been done like that before. Everybody there had only been a nomad. But the people knew that their way of life wasn’t that stable, so they were receptive to the idea because everybody wanted a job. And of course, we were very sensitive to local customs because of our Tibetan background, so the biggest challenge was to sell the products they made otherwise … [Turning to Dechen] I mean, how many people did we have in the beginning, Dechen? The first batch?

DECHEN YESHI: We started with 10, but we quickly grew to 30, and by the end of the year we had 70 already.

Wow, that’s quick.

KY: Yes, and every month – this is something we’re very proud of – we always paid people. Other employers would come in, previously, and they would only pay people seasonally when there was work. But when you do that, you can’t really get people to commit. If you want people to be enthusiastic, you have to give them some stability and confidence.

And how would you describe Norlha’s modus operandi?

KY: I think Norlha is an opportunity for the people we support, hire and work with, but at the same time it is an opportunity for our customers, too. I think it’s a win-win for everyone. We don’t spend tons of money on marketing, so we put everything into the product itself. The fibres are of the best quality, it’s treated the best possible way, and the design is constantly evolving. But we never negotiate on the actual product itself.

Dechen, I understand that initially, you weren’t that interested in textiles. What changed?

DY: It did take a while for me to really become passionate about textiles. In the beginning, it was definitely the whole sense of adventure and endless possibilities. I was in my early twenties, and many kids my age had parents who would tell them: “Now you settle down, take a business course, and start finding a conventional path.” Instead, I had a mother who was saying: “You are not settling, you’re going out there, you’re travelling, you’re going to Tibet, and you’re going to do something different, and we will change lives.” So it was much more of an adventure than it was for textiles itself. And at that time, I was very interested in documentaries so she got me a camera, which was her way of luring me onto the Plateau [everyone starts laughing]. At first, she didn’t mention yak wool that much, just referred to it here and there. But I began interviewing people with my camera, so we kind of both worked on reconnecting to people within Tibet. Family and friends who we hadn’t ever met or seen in a long time. And honestly, just hearing their stories, especially from the younger generation, I started to realise people were really interested in finding alternative sources of income, a new kind of lifestyle – they were very curious about the outside world. That’s when I thought, maybe there is something with this yak wool. So I saw it kind of as a bridge, as a way of connecting these people to the modern world. That’s basically how it started.

But, of course, Kim was always saying that we need to go for a more niche market. Our competitive edge is in quality, and there is always an interest in that in the future. So I kind of stuck to that and did most of the things on the ground by just getting people trained and organised. It took a long time, but I became especially interested in fibres. I really appreciate them now, since I’ve been surrounded by them. If I wear something that’s not quite to the level of yak or if it’s not too natural, I can definitely feel it. But to this day, I think the genuine love for textiles was from Kim, for sure.

And what does it mean to run the enterprise together? How does that influence the way you work?

DY: I think we complement each other very well. Kim is very positive and can dream, and I am much more down to earth. But at the same time I can be very patient. I spent years with no Internet and no running water. I really got to know the people and tried not to be too demanding to follow their pace. And Kim was also very supportive of that, but I think I am a little more pragmatic.

KY: What I feel like is, I started out with the ideas, and then Dechen was there to make it all happen. We used to do everything ourselves, and we know that you can only do that to a certain point. Now the whole company is growing and is developing a personality – which is really important when you have a brand. So she is kind of taking the lead now, and I am sort of stepping back a little bit. I am always there, hovering in the background, but Dechen is the driving force. I am just more into writing and into philosophising about the whole process. Sometimes, when two generations are working together, there is a conflict when the younger one wants to take the lead because they feel more connected to the world. The older one, on the other hand, has a hard time letting go. But I would say we got through that transition seamlessly, and I am very proud of that. It is essential for a company’s future. Things are constantly changing and moving, and you need to keep continuity. Still, at the same time, you need to absorb the new things that are coming.

How would you describe your relationships with Tibet?

KY: It’s more than just a place where we work. I studied Buddhism as a graduate student, and I did a lot of coursework in anthropology. I speak the language, so it is very much part of me, and it is even more part of Dechen because she is half Tibetan and married a Tibetan. For me, Tibet is our family, our people and our home, and it’s not like being dropped in another environment. It wasn’t a foreign culture to us.

Your designs seem quite traditional yet also modern. Is that something you are conscious of?

DY: We are not trying to make fashion pieces, it’s more about celebrating the quality of the fabric or the textiles themselves. Kim and I created textiles for over a decade, and working with fashion houses helped us perfect things and make things unique. We thought: “We have this great fabric, so we should generally go for more classic, timeless pieces.” The challenge was therefore not to put the actual designs in the foreground of the product. Our ideas are much more subtle. But in terms of ready-to-wear, we’re still working to establish these silhouettes that can be enjoyed by several age groups. The way I see it, several cultures and people can feel comfortable without feeling like they’re wearing a Tibetan costume, but at the same time, have something unique.

Are you inspired by your surroundings?

DY: Norlha definitely gains inspiration from the area, the colours, the overall feel of the place. The locals love our products. It’s lovely how they come in, and they just love the scarves and how it protects them against the elements, and they know it’s high quality because they know the feel of yak wool. So it’s nice to know that our products are appreciated at the local level by the people who make them as well as in cities like Berlin or Paris.

CREDITS:
Photographer: Nikki McClarron