Meeting with the craftswomen
Producing in a different way while respecting those who make them
Each pair of N'go proudly displays a unique weaving, handmade by forty craftswomen from the north Vietnamese provinces of Nghe An, Hoa Binh and Dien Bien.
They are gathered in cooperatives; they are totally independent and organize their work collectively. They fix the price per meter among themselves, which allows them to have prices established for the whole community and to avoid competition between them.
The Beginning of our collaboration
In 2016, Ronan returned to Vietnam to meet the craftswomen and explain the N'go project: to make eco-designed shoes by recreating their minority's traditional ethnic patterns. They receive a fair remuneration for their expertise, and they a total organization autonomy in their work. A fair wage for a quality work! The craftswomen immediately joined the project, and the first samples of handcrafted fabrics were produced. A great way to support their manual and ancestral activity while offering them new perspectives for the future.
Kévin & Ronan, founders of N'go, with the Vietnamese craftswomen
The woven fabric is made by hand with a wooden weaving machine
Each cooperative has its own ancestral technique
At N'go, we only work with pre-established cooperatives to ensure that fabric orders are received in a voluntary and collective sense.
Our initial designs are sourced directly from the unique culture of each minority.
Throughout the evolution of our designs, we proposed more geometric patterns, designed in France, and revisited in Vietnam with the help of the women artisans. By offering them these new ways to weave, they learn new techniques and expand their skills.
Everyone supports my work at the cooperative. There is a good atmosphere! It provides me with a regular salary and allows me to take care of my family.
Chị Liên
Vietnam, at the heart of N'go artisanal production
The cooperatives organize their work collectively and autonomously. Each structure is independent, and the weavers have the flexibility to choose their working hours and location. Some of them go to the cooperative to work as a group while others stay at home to make smaller quantities of work and take care of their young children and/or parents.
The price of the fabric (per meter) is fixed collectively by the artisans according to the time and difficulty that the pattern requires. When we order a certain quantity of fabric from the artisans, we pre-finance the raw materials that will be used as well as a part of their future salary. We make it a point of honor to ensure that each artisan receives a fair and stable salary every month, even if orders drop.
We integrate the artisans directly into the development phase of our products.
Each new ethnic pattern that is added to our collection is carefully chosen with the artisans and then we jointly decide if it is possible to move on to the sampling process. After this testing period, the choice to keep or not this pattern must be validated by everyone.
At N'go, producing in Vietnam does not mean working far from home, without direct contact with our suppliers. We work without intermediaries and directly with our partners. Until 2019, Ronan lived in Vietnam to be closer to his partners. Since then, they have opened an office in Ho-Chi-Minh-City to continue the follow-up and development of the brand on site.
The meeting with the craftswomen
Every N'go has a face
Vi Thi Oanh
- 51 years old, 2 children
Lò Thị Chanh
- 42 years old, 2 children
Lò Thị Liên
- 40 years olds, 2 children
Ha Ti Giang
- 30 years old, 2 children
Ha Thi Thuong
- 29 years old, 2 children
Lò Thị Thoa
- 41 years old, 1 child
Lò Thị Thủy
- 50 years, 2 children
Lò Thị Dựng
- 30 years old, 2 children
Ha Thi Toan
- 44 years old, 2 children
Lò Thị Nguyet
- 44 years old, 1 child
Lò Thị Khoa
- 44 years old, 2 children
Testimony
A day in Chieng Chau told by Lò Thị Chanh
Lò Thị Chanh is a 41-years old unpaired weaver with whom we have been working since the beginning of N'go. Mother of two children who are passionate about soccer, she tells us about her daily life at the cooperative:
“I get up at 6am to take care of the children before going to school. We have breakfast every morning as a family (the famous phở soup)! Then I leave for the cooperative around 7:30am, where I work with the other weavers until 11am. Back home, I cook and eat lunch, before usually taking a nap. Then I return to the cooperative at 2pm to weave until 5pm. I return home at 5:30 p.m., to take care of domestic duties and dinner. The evenings end in front of the television, with my family, before going to bed.”
N'go offers a wide variety of products with different weaving techniques. This gives us a lot of motivation and inspiration because we learn something new every time.
Chị Dựng
