Our Traditional Techniques

Indigo dyeing, batik, appliqué, embroidery, and cross stitching have a major role in Passa Paa because of their high cultural value and because of their beautiful results on our products. All these techniques started centuries ago and have passed from generation to generation and evolved in time to what we use daily at our studio in Luang Prabang.

Stitch

Hmong embroidery and cross stitching are techniques passed down from generation to generation from mothers to daughters.

It is the way to decorate and embellish clothes and fabric. In Hmong culture it is also used to tell stories, folktales and historical accounts of traditional Hmong life and culture.

In our case, Passa Paa´s products are often given details with both of these techniques. We have a long lasting relationship with expert Hmong women from various villages. They have taught us everything we know about the traditional way of embroidering and cross stitching and are also part of the design team that aim to innovate and bring this techniques to new boundaries.

Batik

A traditional technique that consists of drawing patterns with melted bees wax on to fabric.

In Passa Paa´s case, it is usually done on hemp fabric using a specific wooden pen with a metal end. Once the fabric is dyed, the wax is melted out leaving a two toned pattern on the fabric. The process is long and repetitive, especially if it is done with natural dye like the indigo we use in our studio in Luang Prabang. Our favourite part is when the motifs are revealed after boiling the fabric and cleaning the wax, the fabric comes alive!

As many of these techniques, these are passed down from mother to daughter.

Indigo

Our favorite color, natural dye, locally sourced and zero waste. This makes Indigo one our favorite techniques to work with!

For Passa Paa, working with Indigo gives us an endless possibilities of playing with its blue hue. Sometimes we just dip an already printed fabric to give it an extra layer of color. We also print with the indigo paste and we bind it with a lao bean paste and we use it to create Hmong inspired motifs on scarves and bags and even our new face masks.

It's 100% natural and when you have finished working with it you can throw the water on your crops, and you can fertilize your garden with it.

Learning about indigo from Lao artisans has always been a fascination of ours. We’ve learned some artisans add sticky rice to the mix and some others add bananas which changes the acidity of the mix and gives different results.

There is not a day that we work with Indigo that we are not in awe of the knowledge that has come from thousands of years and we feel grateful we can use it today in our designs. The fact that this whole process has zero impact on the environment makes us love Indigo even more.

Appliqué

Detailed work that creates stories and meaning while maintaining a tradition for generations to come.

For Hmong people, fine needlework like appliqué has always been a big part of their culture. Usually done by the community women and taught to the daughters, it brings great pride since it is a big part of the dress code for the most important celebrations and events like births, weddings and New Year amongst others. The symbols stitched have evolved over time and even though the meaning of such symbols usually have a relation with nature and animals, all studies point to the fact that there is most certainly not only one meaning per symbol.

At the Passa Paa studio we currently work with talented Hmong stitch artisans who make the samples for other Hmong ladies who prefer to stitch in their homes. From wall hanging artwork to clutches, computer cases and bags, we find a way to combine our signature prints with their hand-stitched magic.

Not only are we proud to showcase Hmong appliqué in our shop and products but we are constantly learning and aiming to give more artisans a space to show their skill. These artisans earn additional income while maintaining alive an important aspect of their culture.

Hand Screen Printing

Creating stories and motifs inspired in Hmong culture and tradition

One of the most interesting work in Passa Paa is the research that goes into the development of the motifs. Each motif has a meaning and story behind it, and we translate these onto our fabrics using screen printing. This technique is believed to have started in China centuries ago and is used in our studio daily. It gives us the option of playing with different colours and printing with natural dyes such as Indigo. It is a technique that even though is not native to Laos, our team of artisans have adopted as their own and found ways to adapt it to our materials and products.