Mesh bag plant fiber

A little bit this mesh bag reminds us of the shoulder bags as they were ubiquitous in the 1970s. Yet this bag is neither a fashion accessory nor a retro find. On the contrary, as a traditional fiber bag, it has been made exactly the same way for ages in northern Laos. The robust leaf fibers of a fast-growing pea species are used, which are extracted completely by hand, dried and processed into yarn, and then also knotted by hand into these net bags. Each net takes two weeks to complete - each one is unique, because the mesh pattern, dimensions and capacity always vary slightly.
The slightly wider shoulder strap rests comfortably on the shoulder and is long enough to be worn crossbody. The body of the bag is so tightly woven that even smaller items can't slip through the mesh. But what we like best about the lightweight, durable and flexible bag is, firstly, its eco-balance, which even exceeds that of cotton and hemp bags. On the other hand, their production helps to preserve traditional Lao handicrafts and ensures a small income for the Khmu in northern Laos.

The natural fiber bags are made in Laos in various Khmu villages. The indigenous Khmu people are one of the original inhabitants in northern Laos. Some suggest that its roots go back 5,000 years, which would make it one of the oldest cultures in the world. Traditionally, the Khmu used bags made from the bast fibers of an indigenous plant (the Pueraria phaseoloides - tropical kudzu) to collect fruits and vegetables. Due to the increasing use of plastic bags also in Laos, the bags were less and less in demand and with the slow disappearance of the bags, the artisanal knowledge of making them was also in danger of being lost. In 2005, the JungleVine® Foundation started the "Nature Bag" project with the Khmu, for which about 1,000 Khmu artisans in about 40 villages now produce a wide variety of bags and pouches from natural fibers. This allows the Khmu living isolated in remote villages not only a source of income at fair conditions, without having to leave their home village, but at the same time contributes to the preservation of traditional, artisanal knowledge.