This week's VOTW is Pema Rishing of Lungta
Pema Rishing first
came to Artists & Fleas this Spring. A native of Tibet, she is a clothing
and textile designer by training who designs with colors and contrast in mind.
Her business, Lungta, is an homage
to the traditional Tibetan special
prayer flags of five colors, each with a different mantra and symbol for
complementing energies in the universe.
How do you describe your business?
I design classic
clothes, bags and scarves made from traditional textiles and materials sourced
throughout my homeland of Tibet and across South Asia. It is my belief that
people can wear something that will make them feel different and give them the
opportunity to experience the place where the item comes from.
I am originally from
Tibet and moved here in 2000.
I was trained as a designer and used to
work designing clothing. When I first started in business, I was selling both handmade
scarves and items of clothing. But more and more I found that people loved
scarves and have shifted my business to that. I’m currently working to develop
a line of more custom items based on the feedback I receive from people in
Williamsburg at the market.
How long have you been doing it?
I started designing when I was young. I grew up
around designers, pattern-makers and textiles since I was a little girl. It’s
just a part of who I am.
Where do you seek inspiration when creating new
designs?
A lot of my inspiration comes from traveling around the US and from my
experiences in Tibet and India and elsewhere in the world. I bring many different cultures together – vintage
designs from Tibet, handwork – and every design is unique and authentic in my
mind and tells the story of its home.
What are your plans/ hopes for the year to come?
Honestly, I have learned so much from the direct interaction
I have with people at the market – both shoppers and other vendors. I love that
the market has given me a chance to create my own thing, to open and share and
learn from people and I’m just excited to doing more of it.
