EU delegation hosts 'Threads of Joy' fashion showcase featuring chyangra pashmina, Spanish Chula designs

KATHMANDU: Delegation of the European Union to Nepal hosted a fashion showcase titled 'Threads of Joy' on Saturday.

The event, held at the residence of EU Ambassador Veronique Lorenzo, brought together Nepali chyangra pashmina garments and contemporary designs from Spanish label Chula. It opened with a display of bold, colourful dresses by Chula, a brand founded in 2004 by Laura Fontan and her late husband Diego Cortizas. Chula’s collections, produced in Vietnam, are made in collaboration with social enterprises that provide opportunities for people with disabilities.

Models presented pashmina ensembles in muted natural tones, crafted from handspun fibre sourced from chyangra, the Himalayan mountain goat, in the regions of Mustang and Dolpa. The collection, styled by Deepa Kunwar, featured pieces from KPA Cashmere, Cashmere World Nepal and Nepal Fibre Processing, the country’s first specialised facility for refining chyangra fibre.

The showcase included a vibrant pop-up market where guests could explore and purchase a range of goods. A pashmina processing demonstration was organised by the Nepal Pashmina Industries Association, and products from HerCraft Nepal, a women-led social enterprise supported by Action Nepal, were on display. Amresh Shah, a former member of the EU Youth Sounding Board, presented a family-made Madhubani spice blend.

The EU delegation noted its ongoing support for Nepal’s pashmina sector, citing the EU Trade Investment Programme, which ran from 2020 to 2024 and helped establish a supply chain from fibre collection to export. Continued backing from the United Kingdom Trade Partnership Programme and implementation by the International Trade Centre have, the delegation said, improved training, wages and market access for women artisans and contributed to a rise in exports.

Organisers described 'Threads of Joy' as a celebration of cultural collaboration and a demonstration of the strengthened economic ties between Nepal and the European Union.