CDK: driving sustainable fashion in Bhutan

• Author: Catherine Jewell/Ella Marie Thomson
• Position: Information and Digital Outreach Division, WIPO

CDK is an emerging sustainable fashion line that gives a modern interpretation to traditional Bhutanese designs. (Photo: Courtesy of CDK)

For CDK’s owner, Chandrika Tamang, designing clothes started as a sideline activity during her school days. It never occurred to her that design would someday become an integral part of her life, or that her hobby-turned-passion would become her profession.

“Before getting into the industry in Bhutan, I was a banker,” says Ms. Tamang. “After graduation, I was looking for a secure job and ended up in the banking sector, but spent my free time ripping clothes and stitching them back together. It took me about six years to realize that design was my calling."

It’s no longer enough to reduce our impact on the planet. Our aim is to leave the environment and communities we touch better off through our conscious actions.

Chandrika Tamang, founder of CDK

After training in Basic Apparel and Tailoring in India, Ms. Tamang's thirst for creativity led her to start designing and making clothes from home. “I would learn about designing for hours from the Internet," she notes. "It soon dawned on me that I could set up a business that could help fill a void in the Bhutanese fashion industry, create local employment and help promote and preserve Bhutanese textiles. I went with my gut feeling and decided to take up designing full-time in 2016. That's when I set up CDK.”

Since then, the designer has gone on to win many awards. In 2017, she won the National Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award, from the Department of Cottage and Small Industry (DCSI) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Ms. Tamang has also represented Bhutan in many international fashion shows and policy fora.

Sustainability is a priority

Ensuring that CDK is an ethical fashion label that supports women's empowerment and sustainability goals is a priority. "I want to make changes in my own small way. It's important to me that I don't forget my roots. I love working with different artisans and to give value to local products,” Ms. Tamang explains.

CDK is committed to increasing sustainability by empowering home-based weavers to preserve and promote the culture of weaving and to reduce waste whenever possible. (Photo: Courtesy of CDK)

In line with CDK's motto "quality over quantity," the company uses ethically sourced, high-quality, biodegradable raw materials and natural dyes and works to minimize waste, for example, by ensuring that off-cuts are made...