As a refugee kid, I was born between worlds. The rhythms of Phnom Penh, where my parents were from, beat inside me, even as I was raised half a world away in America. Coming back here as an adult was like stepping into a story I already knew by heart but had never truly read.
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In that story, Phnom Penh was once known for one thing: fast fashion. The kind stitched in silence, behind factory gates. For decades, the city – and Cambodia at large – was defined by what it could produce quickly, cheaply, and at scale for someone else’s name tag. Nearly all factories were foreign-owned.
Cambodian hands built global empires, while our own creativity and ownership remained invisible.
But the city I see now? It’s different. It’s evolving. And the evolution isn’t loud or flashy. It’s rooted, grounded, and deeply intentional.
Today, Phnom Penh is quietly becoming a centre for sustainable fashion in Southeast Asia. Not the kind built on clever marketing, but the sort born from resilience, memory, and community. It’s a change that didn’t come from a single breakthrough, but slowly, like weaving. Thread by thread.
It came from women, mostly. From the garment workers who used to sit behind industrial machines for 10-hour shifts and are now working at independent workshops. From the designers who left jobs abroad and came home to build something more aligned with who they are. From the craftspeople who never stopped believing in the beauty of what Cambodians make.
Photos: Dorsu
I still believe in that possibility. In fact, it’s the driving force behind Dorsu, a Cambodian brand I acquired five years ago.
Our goal is to make better clothing, using remnant fabric from the larger industry. Not fashion for fashion’s sake, but clothes that respect both the people who make them and the land they come from.
We operate a flagship shop in Raintree, a creative office and event space in the heart of Phnom Penh’s business district. More than a store, it’s a reflection of where this city is headed. If you only have time to visit one fashion destination in Phnom Penh, this is where you’ll feel the heartbeat of this movement. Our pieces are made to last, designed with care, and created in-house by our skilled Cambodian team.
And we’re not alone. A new generation of Cambodian makers isn’t just rejecting the extractive systems of the past. They’re offering something better.
Step inside Nary, on leafy Street 240, and you’ll find ethereal silhouettes crafted by skilled Khmer hands. Then there’s Revivre Studio, a contemporary atelier founded by a young French-Khmer designer who studied abroad, returned, and began mixing traditional forms with contemporary minimalism.
Photos: Nary, A.N.D.
Remade in Cambodia is another powerful voice in this story, reclaiming secondhand materials from the Mekong River and giving them new life with thoughtful reimagination by local designers.
They aren’t afraid of imperfection – in fact, they celebrate it, reminding us that sustainability also means rethinking what beauty even looks like.
A.N.D. (Artisans and Designers), one of the scene’s pioneers, has long championed local artisans and playful textiles. And women-led social enterprise Manava is working with Khmer artisans to create rattan accessories that blend form, function, and heritage beautifully.
These brands aren’t building fast empires. They’re building a legacy that points to something new.
What I love most is that Phnom Penh hasn’t lost its edge in the process. You can still feel the hustle, still sense the complexity of a city that knows struggle too well. But now, that energy is being redirected toward sustainability, creativity, and self-determination.
Photos: Manava, Revivre Studio
So, where should you go if you're visiting?
Start your journey on Street 240, where small studios and ethical shops like Nary nestle between noodle carts and bakeries. Stop in at A.N.D. to explore silhouettes with soul. Then visit Revivre Studio near Wat Langka, after which you can venture to Pteah Remade in BKK3, an upcycling studio and workshop by Remade in Cambodia. And if you want a unique window into Cambodia’s ethical fashion future, come to Raintree and visit us at Dorsu. You’ll feel the difference in the fabric, the mission, the energy.
The future of fashion in Phnom Penh will never look like that of Paris or New York or Tokyo, and it shouldn’t. It will look Cambodian. It will be born from memory, hardship, and hope. It will value the maker as much as the design.
As a country and a capital, we’re not trying to catch up to global trends any more. We’re building something better. Something slower. Something ours.
And for the lucky travellers who find their way here, whether you're returning to your roots or exploring for the first time, come with open eyes. This is not just a shopping trip. It’s a lesson in how a city can reclaim itself.
