Handbags made of wicker, straw, and raffia are now trending well all over the globe. You could recognise them since we’ve been exposed to them for an indeterminate amount of time in the marketplace, but there’s no guarantee that we’ll ever buy them. The situation is different now. Handbags made out of rattan, raffia, reed, bamboo, and straw are becoming more popular in Thailand. The country has responded to this demand by modernising and improving its centuries-old weaving process.
Five Thai firms have managed to make the ideal bag for the summer by fusing materials obtained locally, traditional techniques, and imaginative design.
VT Thai
To breathe fresh life into traditional Thai weaving and give it a more contemporary aesthetic, VT Thai brings together local designers and craftspeople. It takes more than a month to prepare the native resources such as straw, rattan, seagrass, bamboo, and vine for the weaving process, which is used to make a wide variety of items for this company.
Beach Daze Bag
The key ingredients for a Beach Daze Bag are bright threads and bags that have been handmade. The villages along the river in the northeast of Thailand produce and gather the straw, which is subsequently used in the production of bags. Whether Petra’s pastel pink walls or the aqua blue sea of Dibba in Oman, each thread colour represents the owner’s passion for travel. The end product is a simple yet one-of-a-kind handbag that you can make your own by customising the colours of the thread.
Weekend BKK
The traditional handwoven totes and shopping bags manufactured by local specialists are transformed into something unique and personal with the addition of a handpainted, personalised tag, making them ideal for a day at the beach.
Chakan
The traditional weaving method of Thailand has been modernised with exciting new designs and patterns. Each bag is painstakingly crafted by locals using high-quality leather and handwoven materials. After completion, the bags are embellished with vibrant designs influenced by the area’s artwork.
Traditional Center for the Craftsmanship of Bamboo Products
Those interested may participate in a learning centre and art projects that concentrate on the bamboo weaving method at the centre, which was established to preserve and promote indigenous knowledge.
In addition to housing a store, the centre features exhibitions of the work accomplished by local weavers have done with bamboo weaving.