BOUTSAYA’S STORY
Boutsaya Art and Craft is a well-known retailer of hand-crafted textiles and exquisitely hand-woven silks in Lao PDR. Boutsaya Viengviseth is a young aspiring Lao woman with a true passion to promote and preserve Lao-women traditional costumes that combine antique and unique patterns. She started to collect rare pieces of silks and textiles inherited from generation to generation of Lao ethnic tribes and villages. She wanted to unveil the beauty and the myths of Lao silk motifs together with the rich history of Lao ethnic women costumes.
BOUTSAYA VIENGVISETH
Boutsaya had developed a profound sense of inner passion since she was in high school. She was inspired by her beloved mother, Phetthavone Viengviseth, who was a silk fanatic. Her mother started selling silks to local villagers with Boutsaya riding on the back of her mother’s motorcycle. With many years of experience accompanying and helping her lovely mom with buying and selling hand-woven silks and textiles, Boutsaya’s inner passion and entrepreneurship evolved to form Boutsaya Art and Craft.
In 2011, Boutsaya launched her online Facebook shop, entitled “Boutsaya Saya”. As a result of fast-developing technology and rise in social media, Boutsaya Saya began to gain popularity among local and international customers as one of the few online shops in Laos able to provide delivery service of Lao silk skirt (or Sin in Lao) to customers across the country and abroad.
In the beginning of 2017, the increasing sales combined with a high demand of local customers wishing to visit a brick-and-mortar and to select products first-hand, Boutsaya decided to officially open Boutsaya Art and Craft, a hand-crafted Lao Textiles and Silk.
In 2019, Boutsaya came out with new product lines and has been working tirelessly intending to promote Lao Women handiworks and their high-quality workmanship to gain domestic and international recognition. Each item is inspired by the culturally-rich national heritage of Laos and its naturally rich tropical ecosystem. Boutsaya combines natural local materials such as rattan, bamboo, cotton and silk fabric with modern design techniques. Her unique combination allows her to design elegant handmade bags, ready-to-wear outfits, and home décor products.
All products by Boutsaya Art and Craft are handmade by local women artisans applying their authentic techniques including traditional weaving, sewing, and embroidering. Therefore, every item can be guaranteed for its uniqueness and authenticity. Boutsaya and her team are very grateful for all the support received thus far and therefore are looking to modernize Lao products with naturally-beautiful attractive styles to serve the international market. Boutsaya Art and Craft, is not only aiming to promote Lao women’s expertise on handiworks, but is attempting to create sustainable incomes for their families and to support economic empowerment.
SUNNY VIENGVISETH
To provide customers a seamless shopping experience Boutsaya and Sunny Viengviseth, Co-Founder of Boutsaya.com, are launching their first official e-commerce website in 2020.