Norlha

Norlha is a sustainable luxury clothing and textile label, founded in 2007 by Kim Yeshi and her daughter Dechen Yeshi in Ritoma, a nomadic village 3,200 metres up on the Tibetan Plateau. Kim, an anthropologist who spent decades researching textiles in Asia, formulated the concept, while Dechen, who first travelled to the plateau in 2005 to research the region, established the Norlha Atelier. The name means "wealth of the gods". Norlha makes scarves and shawls such as the Pilgrimage Scarf, felt vests, shawl coats, Tibetan shirts, knitwear, children's clothing, blankets and bed covers. Every piece is made by hand at its atelier on the plateau, where around 100 artisans, mostly local nomads and 65% women, spin, weave and felt. The brand works mainly with yak khullu, the soft down yaks grow for winter, which is cashmere-soft and warmer than sheep's wool, sometimes blended with silk. It uses flying shuttle looms, low-impact processes and natural, undyed colours. Norlha is a certified B Corp. It has worked with Hermès, is stocked by Dover Street Market and has been featured by Vogue, The World of Interiors and WSJ, with stores in Ritoma, Lhasa and Beijing.