Boby Vosinthavong, of Lao Silk and Craft Australia brings her mother Kommaly Chanthavong to the Festival to demonstrate how silk yarn is spun and woven on a wooden hand loom. She will talk about her family’s silk farming system, the plants and minerals they use to extract natural dyes and weaving techniques.

Kommaly, is a Lao weaver and trainer whose social label ‘Mulberries’ highlights how ecological silk farming and the artistry of hand woven silk textiles sustains village level economy, its environment and culture.

Kommaly fashions her heirloom motifs and contemporary design to produce exquisite silk weavings central to Lao culture and its handcraft industry today.

UNESCO Bangkok and Craft Victoria Scarf Festival have highly awarded Lao Sericulture’s ‘Mulberries’ for their excellence in silk fiber and artistry.

The social enterprise is a member of the International Fair Trading Association.

In 2005 Kommaly was nominee among 1,000 women for the Nobel Peace Prize for her contribution in strengthening the social and economic position of post-war Lao communities.

Be a sport and have a go at weaving a silk ecoTextile.