Slow Down with Norlha
A life on ‘The Roof of the World,’ is one intimately connected with natural surroundings. Norlha, the Tibetan Plateau’s first yak khullu atelier, has created a community committed to honoring this connection in the production of exquisitely crafted pieces.
Photo available via AnOther Magazine. Photographed by Nikki McClarron. ©All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Khullu, the soft down undercoat of the yak, is grown in the fall and shed in late spring. This soft and extremely warm layer insulates yak against the extreme cold of the Plateau. The four categories of the fiber highlighted on Norhla’s website: enduring, soft, ethical, warm. It is a textile that retains its shape and resists pilling, thus lasting far beyond one generation. When it comes to collection, Norhla’s artisans seek out the softest category, which is a baby yak’s first molt. The yak are never clipped, combed, or stripped of their natural protective layers. When sourced during the collection window, the result is a layer of down-like fiber that is then not bleached, but rather processed naturally in a way that preserves its bounce and insulation.
These exceptional qualities are nurtured by the team of artisans employed by Norlha. The same care in sourcing the materials is applied to the 130 large Norlha’s crew, all of which are former nomads or from nomad families. Ritoma Village, the atelier’s home, is a nomad settlement that has generations’ worth of knowledge when it comes to spinning, weaving, and felting. This expertise is invaluable and plays a huge role in the ethos of Norlha, as their production process combines traditional knowledge with modern technology imported from nearby India and Nepal.
Respect and love for the yak run deep in Norlha’s principles. Photographed by Nikki McClarron. Photo available via AnOther Magazine. ©All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
The ever-popularizing idea of sustainable luxury is not always credible or executed in a way that embodies what it promises. As a result, the efficacy in the idea of sustainable luxury often comes into question. An atelier like Norlha reassures that it’s possible to produce beautiful, luxurious pieces in harmony with nature and in support of the surrounding community. The import of tech, combined with local pastoralism, is well suited to Ritoma and has contributed to the 40,000 hours Norlha has invested in the training of local nomads in vocational, management and textile skills, as well as the $5.8 million USD in local salaries. The people of the village and of Norlha are supported and educated, leading to the meticulously created pieces that are infused with skill and care.
The pieces themselves are a combination of ready-to-wear clothing and interior items. Co-founder Dechen Yeshi describes them in an interview with Vogue, “Our pieces always find a balance between the minimal and the majestic, reflecting the landscape and the way people live here.” They are befittingly inspired by the pasture around the atelier’s headquarters, which changes in color by season. In the summer: greens, blues, and the pinks and purples of wildflowers. Grays and browns in the spring. Their most recent ready-to-wear collection is autumnal, with a muted palette of greens and browns, and a touch of color here and there to represent the wildflowers.
Pieces from Norlha’s Autumn ready-to-wear collection. Photo available via Norlha. ©All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Norlha’s visuals first take your breath and then restore it. In every element of the atelier there is intention, both in craftsmanship and story, as it was founded on the basics of ethics. Founded in 2007 by the mother and daughter duo Kim and Dechen Yeshi, the two created the label with the goal of giving former nomads with little to no schooling, or few animals, a way to earn a living and hone new skills while preserving their culture. Their foundational values have never wavered, and the impact of their company continues to grow and add vitality to the community around them. The sensitivity to heritage and respect of the yak, which they place at the center of all they do, leads to this sort of harmonious endeavour between nature and fashion.
In the 17 years of the atelier’s existence, they have continued to expand towards international representation while fortifying their core. To see the numbers is one thing, but to read and watch about their impact gives an even more profound impression of how powerful their mission is. Oscar winning Hong Kong director Ruby Yang directed the following short documentary about Norlha, their workshop sitting at 3,200 meters above sea level, and those who have had their lives changed by working with them.
Heritage and aesthetics merge in Norlha’s undertaking. Their story is compelling in itself, then even more so as you see how ethereal their pieces are. On the brand’s site, you are granted access not just into their collections, but also into a journal with articles adding even more depth to what they do and the value given to those they work with. The Tibetan plateau is undergoing clashes of transformation and tradition, as so-called modernity works its way in. People like Dechen Yeshi have been facilitating the union between the wealths of deep traditional knowledge and the international influence of modernity. Norlha encapsulates exactly that in its embodiment of sustainable luxury.
