Lost Horizons was founded in 1993, originally under the name Laundromat, by Quebecer Francis Dubé in partnership with a family-owned knitting business in Kathmandu, Nepal.

But the history of our brand goes back to 1991, when Francis traveled to Nepal for the first time. Inspired by the handmade products he found there, he purchased a few items to sell to friends back home in Canada. Little did he know it was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Nepal.

For the next few years, Francis traveled back and forth between Kathmandu and Quebec, buying and selling all kinds of handicrafts—from locally made jewelry, to Tibetan singing bowls. Amongst the lot there was some knitwear.

He soon realized that handmade knits were popular with customers in Canada, but didn’t necessarily meet the requirements and tastes of the North American market. Some adjustments were needed!

So, with his new Nepali partners, Francis set about establishing Laundromat as a Fair Trade knitwear label.

The first step was to change from ‘one-size-fits-most’ to standard sizing. But it wasn’t as easy as we first thought.

In the first year, we ended up with size Medium sweaters that had longer sleeves than the Extra Larges! Through trial and error, we worked out the details, and Laundromat now offers four consistent sizes for both women and men.

Next, we turned our attention to the look of our sweaters. Fuchsia and turquoise jacquard on the collar of a men’s sweater wasn’t exactly what our customers were looking for, so we collaborated with artisans in Nepal to come up with new colors. We learned how to work with heritage designs while using AZO-free dyes to introduce new hues.

The last step was the hardest of all: Design.

For this, Francis had to spend a lot of time in Nepal working closely with artisans to learn the basics of knitting. Now, we partner with a Colorado based designer to develop our signature, timeless designs.

The evolution of our brand has been a constant process of learning from our Nepali partners. We will never stop pushing the boundaries of what’s possible to develop new quality products for our customers. Our spirit of collaboration and Fair Trade ethos ensures our suppliers and artisans in Nepal grow and develop, too.

Lost Horizons has been in business with Nepal since the 1990s. Over that time, we’ve seen many changes take place in this small country in the Himalayas.

Through  political uprisings that overturned a 240-year-old monarchy, to nationwide workers’ strikes, rolling blackouts and the devastating earthquakes in 2015, Lost Horizon’s commitment to Nepal has never wavered.

Nepal has a long history of cultivating and working with wool. In fact, some say the name Nepal comes from a Tibetan phrase meaning ‘House of Wool’.

Knitting and carpet-making have always been two of the country’s biggest industries.

For us, knitting sweaters and woollen accessories seemed like a natural fit. As Kathmandu continues to develop and hand-knitting becomes a less frequent choice of occupation in Nepal, we are committed to doing all that we can to ensure this craft is preserved.

Lost Horizons provides stable, Fair Trade employment for hundreds of people in Nepal. We have touched the lives of artisans all over the Kathmandu Valley—most of them women—and supported countless households and communities to thrive. We have stood by our suppliers and helped them to innovate, update their facilities, and grow their businesses. We have always maintained the highest standards around sustainable and natural materials, doing our bit to ensure a healthier, greener future for the country.

As Nepal continues to grow and change, Lost Horizons is committed to doing our bit for a fairer, greener future for all Nepali people. By purchasing a Lost Horizons product and supporting our work in Nepal, you can be part of that journey, too.