Process

The Dharma Door has been commissioning the incredible skills of female artisans in remote, rural communities of Bangladesh since 2008. By working with not-for-profit NGOs on the ground, we have developed a process that honours both artisans and buyers.

Ours is a slow and steady approach: first, we identify the weaving skills of our artisans; then we interpret these techniques, and design new products from our studio in Byron Bay, Australia.

We are in constant contact with the design and field leaders of each NGO artisan group, as we sample and refine each special piece. We place an order with these groups when each aspect is perfected.

The NGOs source beautiful natural fibres and deliver them to artisan communities, often helping to store and prepare them for weaving before the time-honoured process of hand making begins.

By working within the skills of our artisans, with groups who truly do have their best interest at heart, we have created an approach that empowers each person: proof that through good design, we can all make a difference.