You might be wondering why, after years of producing our sustainable apparel from our humble workshop in Kampot, that we are re-introducing you to this riverside town that we call home.
For some of you, Kampot will be overly familiar. For others, this might be your first meeting. Either way, the world is different after recent years, especially for places that relied so heavily on tourism, and Kampot is no exception.
Fast forward to 2023 and the town is, once again, seeing an influx of visitors with development on the rise, so much so that we just got our first 7-Eleven. That aside, I’m pleased to say that behind the bright stripes of a famous convenience store, Kampot’s charm and authenticity shines through.
Our community of small businesses shows an overwhelming support for one another. Our riverside is getting a makeover that heightens its beauty beneath the hills of Bokor Mountain. And, most importantly, our crew of international friends are making a return that reignites the excitement of seeing faces old and new.
So, in an ever changing world that is once again in motion, we’d like to welcome you to Kampot and show you all it has to offer. Stay tuned for our best cafes and restaurants, activities and landmarks as we move throughout the year.
First in our Kampot series, we’re going to walk you through our workshop, Dorsu’s heart and soul.
This part is bittersweet. All good things come to an end and our lease here is no exception. Nevertheless, a wise person once said that with every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end, and we’re confident that our next location will be our best one yet.
Stay tuned for updates about our forever home, and in the meantime, join us at our special place that is our Kampot Workshop. Here, ideas come to life, rags become sustainable riches, and the opportunity for a better world is nurtured.
After arriving in Kampot, walk through our natural garden, take in the strong essence of coffee (our next door neighbours areCambodia’s best brewers), and you’ll find yourself at the doors of our modest production workshop.
What makes Dorsu unique is that our clothes are designed, produced, and sold by one team under one roof. We take pride in owning every step of our clothing’s lifecycle, allowing us to monitor the process and ensure that the piece that lands on our door has been made with love and care for our people and the planet.
Everything we make has been designed at our workshop byKunthear, our Production Manager & Technical Designer, andVee, our Production & Technical Design Associate.
Under their watchful eye, the drawing table in our design space is where the journey begins.
If youfollow us on Instagram, you’ll know that you play an active role in the design of our clothes. We’re always happy to receive feedback and encourage our community to do so to allow us to make sure that the clothes we make are right for you. After all, a sustainable wardrobe should be carefully curated with versatile pieces that are customised to you.
After every design passes through its approval stages, from community feedback, to fabric sourcing, to prototyping, to fit modelling, and finally, landing in a production order, our trained cutters carve out the structure of each piece and begin to give the fabric an identity.
Our cutting room comprises one machine and four pairs of hands. Hand cutting is an art that will always be valued under our roof. We love the efficiency of a sleek machine, but it can never replace what a simple pair of scissors can achieve when it comes to the finer details.
Walk down to our sewing floor and you’ll be greeted by the buzzing sound of needles piercing segments of fabric, sourced from remnants, and being turned into your next favourite staple. Our strong team of women leading their machines will weave and smile as you walk past various projects underway.
You’ll find Mara, recently promoted to sewing lead monitoring the floor, Sothy, an expert on the overlock machine, Sreydieb checking the details, and many more of our expert seamstresses doing what they know and love.
We support the strengths of each individual and are continuously evaluating how we can encourage the learning and development of our team.
The final stage of our production process is the trimmings and quality control (QC). Here, every inch of the garment is examined to ensure we provide only the highest quality.
Each garment will be QC’ed, ironed, and carefully packed for its onward journey.
What happens after each garment passes through QC? Well, that depends.
It might be sent to our trusty partners, Silk Screen Printing Lab, for some additional details. Or, if it’s ready to find its forever home, it will be transported to our retail space in Phnom Penh, or onward to a partner if part of a custom order.
We work with a number of partners who share our values and vision for slow and sustainable fashion, from Washington DC, to Germany, to Australia, and everywhere in between.
Our community of visionaries help us to grow, so stay tuned as we share with you our plans for the year ahead.
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