Cambodia's Holi targets UK market

By

Cajsa Lykke Carlson

Published
Mar 15, 2016

Premium fashion outerwear brand Holi was set up by UK-based Leah Rodrigues and provides a secure and safe working environment, Holi Studios in Cambodia, as well as fair pay for its workers. Now the company is targeting the UK market.

Rodrigues says she started the company because: "I saw a community which was receiving basic training from charity-operated sewing programmes but there was no stable employment available in the community at the end of it so people were left with the option of returning to the rice fields, where they often came from or moving 8hrs away to the larger factories in the capital Phnom Penh. Why wouldn't you run a business which treated its employees fairly?"

Now the Holi label, which creates luxury outerwear in fabrics such as Llama and cashmere wool and silk, has launched the first installment of its new Spring/Summer 2016 collection - 'Warmer '16', and the brand is in talks with other UK brands about also producing their collections at Holi Studios. One of the brands it's in discussions with is Karen Millen, and Holi is also talking to Jaeger, Hobbs Jaeger‎ and‎ Everlane. 

Cambodia has half a million garment workers and 90% of them are living on $3/day and working in extremely poor conditions. Holi aims to provide an alternative.