Above the Fray ventures to the hill-tribe regions of Laos and Vietnam to personally select the world’s most exquisite hand-woven silk, cotton, and hemp textiles directly from the hill tribe artisans. Their diverse selection of shawls, scarves, and art is woven of village-raised materials using traditional looms. Each textile is carefully chosen for quality, precision, color-play, and charm, and a photo of the artist with that one-of-a-kind piece is often available. They also search for traditional jewelry, baskets, tools, and ritual art, with many of the items carrying the rich patina of years of village use.

The auditorium-sized event is a treasure-trove of unique handcrafted collectors and gift items and displayed information that celebrates the diverse and exquisite talents of the hill tribe peoples of Laos and Vietnam.

Above the Fray is a family business founded by couple Maren Beck and Josh Hirschstein, of Eugene, OR in 2007.  They are the authors of Silk Weavers of Hill Tribe Laos: Textiles, Tradition, and Well-Being, the 2018 gold-medal winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award for best travel book.