Hmong Hill Tribe Black Clutch

A gorgeous Clutch made from embroidered cloth by the Hmong Hill Tribe in Northern Thailand.

This piece is Fair Trade. By supporting Fair Trade we actively promote social responsibility while supporting world-wide causes and community development.

About the Hmong 

The Hmong are an ethnic group originating from southern China 
and they have over centuries migrated to countries in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Burma. The Hmong live as a minority group in all these countries and have faced strong persecution, especially at the end of the wars in Vietnam and Laos where many were forced to flee and become refugees, mainly in Thailand. The Hmong in Thailand, for the most part, live in villages in the mountainous regions of the north, where they farm and sell their produce on markets in the towns and cities of northern Thailand.

The Hmong are not only known as excellent farmers but also as makers of beautifully patterned textiles which traditionally has been used for making ceremonial dresses but now also for clothes and bags being sold on the market. The traditional dresses are embroided with different shapes and often using strong and colorful colors that gives them an impressive and distinct look.

Embroidered cloth is also used to express folklore or stories of their lives in harmony with the nature such as birds, butterflies, flowers, sky and river.