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| Carol Cassidy Designs
Cassidy’s grandmother was a tailor who lived in an old Woodbury, Connecticut home built in the 18th century. As a child, Carol loved to rummage through all of those old clothes in her grandmother’s attic. Her love of fabrics led her to study weaving at the University of Michigan and the University of Helsinki in Finland. She even spent seven years teaching mohair weaving in Africa. When Carol was offered a job by the U.N. in Vientiane in 1989, silk weaving was in decline. Decades of social upheaval and the war had caused the relocation of many villages. This turmoil forced many weavers to seek other employment. Exports had dried up and synthetics had replaced silk and cotton on the old wooden looms that remained. In this fractured environment, Carol saw opportunity. “The challenge was to bring Lao textiles into the future. I wanted to combine my 20 years of experience with hundreds of years of Laotian heritage,” says Carol. This she has been able to do while improving the living standards for the Laotian people. Her company now does everything from raising the silkworms, spinning and dyeing the yarn, to weaving the finished products. Carol’s product line includes silk shawls, upholstery fabrics, wall hangings, and accessories. Weaving techniques highlight tapestry, brocade and ikat, a complicated process that uses selective dyeing before the pattern is woven. Her attention to detail has ensured that the traditional Lao weaving skills will be preserved. Cassidy designs are available in New York, San Francisco, and in the Southeast through The Old Rangoon of Highlands, North Carolina and Kiawah/Seabrook, South Carolina. |
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Copyright © 2007 The Old Rangoon
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Carol Cassidy is a well-known American weaver who has spent more than a decade in
Vientiane, Laos helping that country revive its weaving industry. All of
her hard work and devotion to the weavers has paid off. Many of her
customers are foreign, with 80 percent of the work exported. American and
European designers order everything from upholstery, curtains, and wall hangings
to tablecloths. Besides demand by designers, many of Cassidy’s
pieces can be found in collections of international museums in New York, Tokyo,
Paris, Hong Kong and more. Carol has also developed a loyal following of
customers who admire her work and love to include it in their home or wardrobe.
She has just completed a major exhibition at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in San Francisco.