Our Mission

Tibet Collection is committed to creating innovative trans-cultural experiences. We strive to inspire and educate with high quality goods and services by connecting artisans and consumers through the sale of fair and ethically traded products.

Our History

In 1987, an exhaustive economic development survey was made of the Tibetan refugee communities in India and Nepal. The survey sought to identify the resources and potential for development throughout the Community. To better coordinate development activities, an interdepartmental body called the "Planning Council" was created in the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, based in Dharamsala in northern India.

In 1989, the Planning Council engaged a group of supportive Americans to determine how to best promote the sale of Tibetan handcrafts and garments in the U.S. Coordinating offices were organized in Dharamsala and Washington, DC, to promote this new program under the banner of "The Tibetan Handcraft Development Project." The primary objective was to bring increased economic opportunity to Tibetan artisans in India by selling their products to American consumers while educating customers about the culture of Tibet.

In 1990, a small group of American investors transformed the Washington office into "dZi - The Tibet Collection," a for-profit company incorporated with the express purpose of providing a direct link between Tibetan artisans in India and the U.S. market. ("dZi" is the Tibetan word for the famous Tibetan "eye-beads" which are considered a powerful charm and vessel of great secrets to be revealed in the future.)

With additional support from the Ford Foundation, a new training and design development program was introduced to increase basic skills and to begin to create new and more marketable designs. Invaluable advice and assistance was also provided by MarketPlace of India (www.MarketplaceIndia.org) and Aid to Artisans (www.AidToArtisans.org), each of whom generously lent the expertise of their staff and designer networks.

In 1991, dZi began to actively market a new generation of Tibetan-made products at international gift and apparel trade shows in New York under the name "dZi"- Tibet Collection.The company seasonally presented new collections of Tibet-inspired fashions and folk arts to American retailers. dZi continues to exhibit at trade fairs in New York, Boston and Los Angeles, and supports a network of reps in the U.S.

By 1997, dZi had begun to design and import new items from Kathmandu, Nepal, including hand-made paper, incense gift boxes and sterling jewelry. These exclusive collections have expanded into hand-felted and knit accessories, glazed ceramics and a range of traditional Tibetan arts typically made by able Nepalese artisans. A distinctive color catalog was developed and distributed annually and then seasonally as the Company's retail catalog market also began to grow.

Today Tibet Collection is primarily a wholesale trading company, employing a staff of 10 people at our office and warehouse located in Easthampton, MA. We primarily supply retailers with our trademark collections. While we no longer publish a mail order catalog for individuals, we continue to maintain e-commerce sites for both individuals and for retailers.

During our seventeen years of operation, we've acquired many special relationships with our overseas producers, suppliers and supporters. We'd like to take a moment to express our appreciation to the some of most notable:

Special Thanks to:

The investors and past directors of dZi Inc.

Jacque St.James-Wong, product and graphic design

Burwell & Burwell Photography, www.burwellphotography.com

The International Campaign for Tibet, www.savetibet.org