tonlé

Looking forward to this! And very honored to have a few of our pieces featured!

An important read about how the fashion industry isn't just from from the bottom up - by Kim Van Der Weerd who formerly was tonlé's COO in Phnom Penh. The "sustainability minded" factory she mentions in the article is tonlé. We're proud of the fact that first and foremost - tonlé is a manufacturing business - whereas most brands are actually buying from other manufacturers, and often, pushing the risk off to them without providing proper compensation and investment to fix the... problems in their manufacturing. By being first and foremost a business run by and designed around makers, we center them as the core of what we do - rather than considering makers external to our core business. Garment workers deserve to be recognized and upheld as leaders in the sustainability movement - as they are the ones often doing the front line work to fix these problems. https://medium.com//how-racism-shapes-fashions-approach-to

The day this letter was dropped off at our tiny store in Phnom Penh, at a time when even getting your mail consistently in Cambodia was a challenge, was unforgettable. 2013 was a tough year and yet bright spots like this got us through. @michelleobama this letter is still proudly on display in our workshop and we will always treasure it. You have no idea how much this meant and still means. To our friends reading - you may want to go drop everything right now and watch her documentary which just came out yesterday. Michelle we are forever fans - words cannot express our gratitude for everything you have done and continue to do

Well, dear friends, it’s been a difficult (understatement) 2020 so far and every plan we had this year at tonlé has been thrown out the window or written over so many times it’s hard to count. I know each person reading this is going through their own struggles so I won’t enumerate those here but, I’ll just say, I hear you and I see you. And I am holding a great deal of grief and loss as well, for my community, in my personal life, and for my team. The intention we set ...as a business at the beginning of this year was to thrive. We wanted to explore, what does it look like when everyone involved in a business, from makers, to managers, to retailers, to creators, to final customers and our community, thrives? But clearly no one is really thriving right now. And setbacks abound for all of us. But we're using this time to reset our intentions as a business - to planting seeds of resilience that will allow us to thrive once more in the future. Today is May Day International labor day, May 1st, a day that commemorates workers around the world and the many hard won victories they have made to push for more rights and better conditions for workers. May Day is also the holiday that historically is a celebration of rebirth and new life and the coming of Spring in many cultures. In Cambodia, Khmer New Year (which happens at the end of April) is the beginning of the Khmer Lunar Calendar and coincides with the end of the dry season, as farmers eagerly await the rains that begin to come in May and June to begin their planting. Visit today's blog post through the link in our stories for thoughts on International Labor Day and planting seeds of resilience. Words from @Rachel_faller. Photo caption: Friend and inspiration Vichka Vantha at @Dai_Khmer who is an incredible example of resilience, standing in a rice field in Cambodia at sunrise, shot by @Balazsmaar See more

Resilience - something we've been thinking about quite a bit these days. Have been having some great chats with @sustaininglife on the subject and can't wait to share more. Our team is learning and growing through this whole process too. How are you doing? What does reliance mean to you? Photo of a Banyan tree (probably 700 years old) at the Buddhist Temple Ta Prohm, in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Meet Ravy, tonlé’s head of quality control, who has been with tonlé from the beginning. Ravy began working with Rachel in 2008 and has been an inimitable part of the growth and beauty of the community and production of all that is tonlé. Since Ravy has had experience in nearly all areas of tonlé’s production it makes her uniquely qualified to oversee the quality of each product down to the last stitch. Each and every item that goes out of the workshop passes through Ravy’s at...tentive hands and keen eyes before it finds its way to you. Ravy is a bold and no nonsense leader while maintaining an elegant balance of kindness and empathy, always encouraging our community to bring their best. Ravy has a passion to see others improve and succeed and has no qualms about holding people accountable to help see them through to reach their goals. Oh how the world needs more leaders like Ravy! Ravy has four incredible children, all of whom she has put through college. She enjoys watching Project Runway and crocheting in her spare time. We are beyond grateful for the skill and heart Ravy brings to our community and to each and every tonlé product. We truly couldn’t do it without her. See more

Thank you so much CHLOE JACKMAN PHOTOGRAPHY for this lovely post! Had so much fun doing this shoot with you and can’t wait for more magic to come!

Excited to be joining this panel along with some very special people! Tune in on Wednesday friends!

Looking for a easy way to get active and support garment makers? Here's a quick petition to sign. These brands are OVERDUE on paying livable wages with opportunities for upward mobility and sustainable supply chains. Time is up! Sign this petition and support the Remake #PayUp campaign & actively choose to make a difference. Brands like C&A Kohl's JCPenney and Walmart we’re looking at you! http://ow.ly/nlLj50z2GW9

Video facebook tage share Video At tonlé we are working to support garment factory workers... in need of help. If you have been affected by the garment factory closures, please send us a short video describing your experience and send it to us via Facebook messenger or post it to facebook and tag us. We would like to share your stories with customers and the industry, so that people understand what is happening in Cambodia, and hopefully get you some help and support. Please see this short video from our GM Sokpriya Yan for further information. Remake Rachel Faller

Important read from Vogue Business on how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting workers in the garment sector - highlighting the challenges tonlé is going through. We're working together as a community to make sure we can keep our team employed during this time and we'll continue to need your help. At the same time, we will do what we can to support the sustainable fashion community so that we can all succeed together. https://www.voguebusiness.com//coronavirus-causes-closures

Do you have some available time on your hands and skills in digital marketing that you'd be willing to lend to tonlé during this challenging time? Let us know! Thank you so much to our community that has been so supportive during this time.

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