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wow
shop and
dogood
TEXTBYLOVENRAMOS
TheSaoMao shop in
SiemReap’sOldMarket
area is a treasure trove
of gorgeous handcrafted
jewelry, accessories,
fabrics and collectible
curiosities.Manyof
thosewho fall for their
merchandisemight not
realize theproducts’
beauty ismore than skin
deep. SaoMao is owned
by aBritishexpat,Marie
Hill. Sheworkswith
impoverished villagers,
home-basedproducers
and artisanswho survived
theKhmer Rouge regime
tohelp revive traditional
craftsmanshipwith
contemporary appeal— a
project which she started
in 1992 after engaging
withCambodians in a
Shopwithout theguiltatSaoMao, aSiem
Reapsocial enterpriseprovidingameansof
livelihood toCambodianswhosurvived the
KhmerRouge regime
Rising
fromthe ruins
refugee camp.
Seamlessly
merging
creativitywith a
social conscience,
SaoMao
provides not just
wearablepieces
of art but also
anopportunity
to takepart in
Cambodia’s ongoing
healingprocess.
Among thenotable
products
available at Sao
Mao isAmmo—
a lineof jewelry
handmade
from recycled
brass bullet
casings. The
womanbehind
thebrand
isMadeline
Green, an accessories
designer fromEngland.
Bullet casingswere
originally refashioned
by locals into cowbells
after thewar.Artisans
use the same technique
tohandcraft eachof
Madeline’s designs.
“Inour SiemReap
workshopwemelt bullets,
andhand-form them into
brass sheet andwire,”
explains thedesigner. “It
transforms anegative
metal intoapositive,
wearabledesign. By
teachingyoungpeople
andencouraging
creativity, disadvantaged
Cambodians canhavea
career aswell as a
sustainable future.’’
i
SHOPSAOMAO
SAOMAO ISATSTREET9,OPPOSITETHEOLD
MARKET (PSARCHAS);OPENMONDAYTOSATURDAY, 8.30AMTO
10PM. YOUMAYALSOVISITTHEIRWEBSITE
SAOMAO.COM
These are made
of recycled bullet
casings
