Meet Vannary San: The Woman Reviving Cambodian Silk Weaving

By Marrisa
12 March 2018

Softly spoken Vannary San’s eyes light up as she talks about the latest step in her mission to breathe new life into Cambodia’s steadily dwindling silk industry.

Vannary scoured the country to find communities to grow mulberry trees to feed the silkworms in Kampot, training them to the highest standards. She bought one sewing machine and hired a tailor to create the first batch of silk scarves, created in her own home after long days working at ActionAid.

Among her clutch of accolades, in 2012, she scooped the Women’s Creativity in Rural Life award and in 2016, was awarded the title of outstanding woman entrepreneur of ASEAN. In August, she was crowned Top 5 Designer of the Year 2017 by the Modern Ethnic Design Centre.

While Cambodia was once world famous for its Golden Silk, which is renowned for its strength and lustrous fibre, the age-old tradition — like all other art forms — came close to extinction after the Khmer Rouge reign.


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