Our Story

Lehvallée is born of love of Sonam and Kunzes, two Ladakhi sisters’s, for Ladakh, and of their desire to make a positive impact within the local community. 

The idea came to them during their first visit to the Changthang region in Ladakh in 2016. Sonam, based in France, had started a pashmina brand with the aim of connecting and sharing a little part of Ladakh with her country of adoption. But soon sourcing an authentic pashmina became a real challenge for her. Kunzes, who had just returned after finishing her chemistry study in Delhi university, accompanied her sister on her trip to Changthang, to meet the herders. As they traveled and learned more about their land and the extreme living conditions of the people, they were both convinced that there was something to be done. 

They decided to create their own production unit, “Lehvallée handmade textile”, with the aim of supporting women, the herders and local economy. They  build a small team of young enthusiastic women, trained them in weaving, tailoring and in different process of production, bought raw materials directly from the nomads. They involved women in surrounding villages for hand spinning. After a year of training and experimenting, they had their first marketable products.

Today, Sonam, in France, manages the products, and marketing and development of this very young enterprise, while Kunzes, in Ladakh oversees the production and day-to-day management of workshop and of the natural dyes that she is passionate about. 

Each action and decision is considered to remain consistent with the values they stand for and they wish to convey through their products – authenticity, respect for the environment, respect for the humans and also for the animals, and above all respect for their customers, by ensuring a product of quality, comfort and lasting value.