The concept of “Femmes de rizières” was developed back in 2017. The idea was to create a brand under which the work from the Battambang Safe House’s tailoring workshop could be commercialized. The tailoring workshop is now in its fourth year and so far around 40 young women have successfully completed their training as tailors, with the aim of enabling these young women to become self-employed and earn enough to be financially independent.
As soon as there is a concept, you have to breathe energy and life into it, i.e. you have to involve other people in the development and create facts and activities. In addition to numerous other challenges, we were initially preoccupied with two main problems: we had no designer and no material.
In the next step, the requirements profile for a designer and the corresponding job description were drawn up and posted online. We were overwhelmed by the number of highly qualified applications we received. We then organized individual interviews via Skype with a selection of candidates. It quickly became clear that Patrik and I were 100% in agreement and we decided on Gabrielle. For me, it was almost like love at first sight. Gabrielle’s natural and cheerful manner won me over. All the practical details were clarified quickly and after a short briefing and first meeting, Gabrielle flew to Cambodia on July 5, 2018.
At Siam Reap airport, she was welcomed by Sophan Phoeun. Sophan lives and works in the Safe House and was chosen by us as Gabrielle’s interpreter and guide.
Gabrielle settled into her temporary home very quickly and threw herself into the big task ahead of her with great enthusiasm.
After just one week, she presented the first inspiration boards for products and techniques. She was particularly interested in dyeing with plants and leaves. She spent a few days carrying out various experiments and tests and the initial results were not bad at all. This was followed by the production of the first prototypes.
Gabrielle then traveled with Sophan to the capital Phnom Penh to get to know the country, the culture, the landscape and the people of Cambodia better. They were also there in search of fabrics.
Sources of inspiration for Gabrielle were the rice fields, the colorful markets and the beauty of the women in the rice fields, which reminded her of the beautiful Cambodian apsaras – half goddesses and half dancers. Some of the adjectives Gabrielle uses to describe the style of the “Femmes des rizières” are: white/airy, casual/elegant, handmade, fresh and natural.
Handmade is, of course, at the heart of the brand, as the declared aim is to give young tailors a better future and the prospect of financial independence and the autonomy that comes with it. They should be able to feed their families and make their own decisions.
Gabrielle then also defined the subsequent brand launch and the brand’s future target group:
To all Apsaras of this world
Similar to the nymphs, the fairies or even the angels, the apsaras stand for a pure and fragile femininity.
In earlier times, these goddesses spent their time dancing, laughing and singing, offering the world the opportunity to behold their incredible beauty. But times have changed and the apsaras have adapted. Studies, work, travel… in their own interest they have learned to hide from time to time.
But they have never ceased to exist… and you know that because you are them – all the women in the world.
You represent the new and discreet beauty, this delicacy that one cannot get enough of, the sweetness of this planet, the Apsaras of the 21st century.
Femmes des rizières…
This brand is for you as much as it is for us. Friends, mothers, daughters, sisters or partners… this brand speaks of women and of the secret Apsara that everyone carries within them.
Here at home, we are surrounded by rice fields. But whether on the beach, in the mountains or in the desert…. there are extraordinary women everywhere.
Our creations come from the rice fields and are aimed at all women of the world.
Gabrielle was extremely impressed by the beauty of Krama and she decided to use this wonderful and multifunctional garment as an integral part of the collection.
Krama is a traditional Cambodian garment with many uses: it is used as a scarf, to protect the face from dust and sun, as a decorative element or as a baby hammock…. Traditionally, kramas have a checked pattern. Krama is the national symbol of Cambodia.
Gabrielle has now decided to extend her stay in Cambodia by a further two months in order to really push ahead with the project. We are very happy about her decision and will keep you informed about further developments.
