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The Vision
Benny is a veteran of the fashion and textiles business, who has in the past thirty years
established a global brand name, and whose designs are sought after internationally in North
America, Europe, Japan and Singapore. In recent years Benny has been drawn again and again to
the rich heritage and tradition of textiles in Southeast Asia. Inspired with love, he began his
passionate 'rediscovery' of the wonderful legacies of colours, designs and artistic skills of the
peoples of Indochina. He realised that the art-form is under-represented and under-valued, and that
there was great potential, and meaning, in reviving their fading traditions and to bring its charms
to the world.
Benny took this idea to heart. In the man there is a very simple philosophy for life, actually which
we all share and know just as well too, that is the joy in being able to reach out to human beings
and to help them overcome their problems and sufferings. It is with this compassion for human life
and the urge to do something for these people, that Benny decided to create a social enterprise
that crosses geographic borders, utilising his business experience and network and his powerful
creative abilities, and based on love and compassion, the Council of Weavers.
Uncommon Enterprise
Through marrying his creative flair with the traditional artistry of hand-weaving, and creating
products of exquisite enjoyment, Benny aims to sow the seeds for the emergence of a global culture
of appreciation for new forms of expression in textiles based on the Indochinese heritage. While
Benny brings to the work a new level of western sophistication and refinement, the artisans will
execute the works with a consummate sense of the art of weaving, an art which lives in the heart
of the people and where textiles is always inseparably connected with life.
This partnership therefore is a special kind of relationship that brings together economic, social,
cultural, and artistic aspects of the lives of many people. Members of this enterprise will come
from all areas of expertise and experience, and share a deep appreciation for the meaning of this
collective work. Through this work we will reach into and connect the lives of the artisans, the
designers, and the customers, so that they are able to come to know and appreciate each other in
an intimate way that is beyond merely merchandise. That is the spirit and vision of the Council of
Weavers.
> The Impact
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