TENZIN LHAKI | Thimphu
Bhutan launched its first capsule collection co-created by Bhutanese women artisans from Goenpa Kabab in Lhuentse and Bhutanese designers in collaboration with the international designer Stella Jean at the Milan Fashion Week 2025 on September 27.
The collection, “Made in Italy Meets the Kingdom of Bhutan,” showcased Bhutan’s rich textile heritage, particularly the iconic Küshuthara from Lhuentse, reinterpreted through contemporary design in partnership with Bhutanese women artisans from Goenpa Kabab, Lhuentse, and local designers.
The Bhutanese delegation to Milan, Italy is being led by the Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Employment (MoICE), Tashi Wangmo, along with senior government officials, FAO Bhutan representatives, local designers, and women artisans. “Bhutan’s participation at Milan Fashion Week will be a proud moment for our artisans,” said the Secretary. “It will shine a spotlight on Bhutan’s rich textile heritage while proving that traditional craftsmanship can inspire contemporary design on the world stage,” she added.
Milan Fashion Week is one of the world’s most prestigious fashion events. It brings together leading luxury houses, renowned designers, and emerging talents to showcase seasonal collections that set global fashion trends.
Renowned for her ability to blend artisanship with cultural identity while championing diversity in fashion, Stella Jean brings her distinctive vision to this collaboration. During her visit in April this year, she met with Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuk, who inspired her vision of connecting Bhutan’s cultural heritage with contemporary global design.
In addition to presenting the main co-created contemporary collection, CDK Gyencha and Wangpee Streetstyle will showcase three individual collections each at the Milan Fashion Show. Reflecting on the upcoming experience, Chadrika Tamang, founder of CDK Gyencha, said, “The co-creation journey with Stella Jean has been truly heartening. I am deeply grateful to MoICE, FAO Bhutan, and the Mountain Partnership for making this milestone possible.”
The initiative is part of the Fashion for Fragile Ecosystems programme of the FAO-hosted Mountain Partnership Secretariat. It is being implemented in Bhutan under the project titled “Strengthening Mountain Value Chains and Enhancing Market Linkages for High-Value Mountain Products,” led by the Department of Media, Creative Industry and Intellectual Property (DoMCIIP) under MoICE, with support from FAO Bhutan. The project is designed to enhance the economic potential of high-value mountain niche products by developing and strengthening the value chain, enabling local producers to achieve higher incomes through improved production practices, expanded control over the value chain, and market access.
FAO Representative for Bhutan and Nepal, Ken Shimizu, said that the collaboration goes beyond fashion. “It will create opportunities for mountain communities, empower women, and link Bhutanese artisans to global markets.”
It aligns with FAO’s commitment to rural livelihoods, gender equality, and the preservation of traditional knowledge, and in enhancing the vision of Four Betters: Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment, and Better Life.
The project is aimed at unlocking the economic potential of mountain niche products, empowering local producers with better value chain control, market access, and sustainable income opportunities.
