Senyu

Senyü creates heritage textile products through the traditional art of backstrap loom weaving from Nagaland.

We’re committed to empowering women weavers to sustain their craft and earn a dignified livelihood.
✨ Custom orders & commissions welcome.

14/09/2026

These are just a few of the principles that Senyü is built around, and they matter deeply to me.

For me, Senyü is about the craft, the people behind it and the story carried through the textiles. These are some of the things I want to stay true to as Senyü grows.

Senyü pieces are made in small quantities. This is partly dictated by the loom itself and how much can be carried within a single wrap, bringing most designs down to a maximum of around six pieces.

I actually love this restriction. It means that not only time but heart and soul went into making the prices.
Even when a design is woven again, no two pieces will ever be exactly the same. There may be subtle differences in the shade of the colour or the weave. Each piece has its own character, which is part of what makes it special to me

I have big dreams for Senyü, and one of them is to become increasingly mindful of its environmental footprint and the choices we make along the way.
I know there is always more to learn and improve, but I believe it starts with making more considered choices where I can.

For example, my mailing bags are made using 75% renewable resources from sugarcane rather than fossil fuel derived materials, and they are fully recyclable through the same recycling channels as oil based polythene.

It may be a small step, but these are the kinds of choices I want Senyü to keep making as it grows.

The textiles I work with carry generations of knowledge, skill and cultural heritage.
These are textiles made to be lived with, used and enjoyed for years to come.
To me, they are heritage textiles. Pieces that can become part of our everyday lives and, hopefully, something that can be treasured and passed from one generation to the next.

That is what makes them so much more than a trend.

Co-creation and collaboration are incredibly important to me.
I believe that together we can grow better, and that working collaboratively gives us a stronger chance of keeping traditional craft practices alive.
One of the ways I try to do this is by paying my weavers upfront. Their time, skill and work deserve to be valued from the beginning, and I want Senyü to create opportunities that work both w

08/09/2026

Senyü’s recycled/reclaimed handwoven shoppers that you might have seen recently at April 11

They were spotted by because, like every Naga, I brought my two shoppers back from Nagaland, handwoven lovingly by my aunt for my own everyday use here in the UK.

April 11 saw them and asked for them to be made for the shop, so thank you for giving my aunt an opportunity to make something she loves whilst also earning from making them ❤️

I have been meaning to make a post about these for a while, as I had taken so many pictures and videos of women weaving whilst in Nagaland last year.

P.s: April 11 custom order in the making, courtesy of my aunt back in Nagaland 🧺✨

I have been meaning to make a post about these for a while, as I had taken so many pictures and videos of women weaving whilst in Nagaland last year.

I love how women weave these shoppers whilst tending to their vegetable stands, during a quick break at home, or simply while catching up with one another, as I noticed. Many of these women also grow the vegetables and produce they sell in their own gardens and fields, so weaving becomes another way of using their time and skills whilst earning an additional income.

These shoppers are often made using colourful reclaimed plastic, creating a sturdy, almost cord-like woven structure by weaving or hand-knotting strips together.

It is really an interesting example of a technique that comes from our traditional craft of basket-making with bamboo, adapted to a contemporary material.

These shoppers are an essential utility product. In Nagaland, these woven bags are used for everything from the weekly vegetable shop to a general everyday carry-all, and they have long been part of daily life there.

Traditional Naga basketry uses split bamboo strips woven together in different patterns to create strong and practical everyday baskets. Today, plastic has become another material used for basket weaving in Nagaland and the craft is now majorly practised by women.

With single-use plastic carry bags prohibited across Nagaland, including all plastic carry bags with or without handles, these reusable woven shoppers have become an important

27/08/2026

A little sunshine in a pouch. 🌼

Woven with a striking diamond motif in black and white against a warm Buttercup yellow, finished with a zip closure and a little tassel detail.

I cannot get enough of them 😊

I’ll be bringing these handwoven pouches along to this weekend, and is excited to share them with you in person 😊

P.S. I promise I’ll get these onto the website soon… 😅

26/08/2026

When I started Senyü, I hoped these pieces would touch the hearts of the people who found them 🤍

Senyü has come together with so much passion, dedication, thought and mindful planning, and I am@so glad I get to share the pieces with you in person at markets 🩷

I will be bringing Senyü handwoven pieces to forage lifestyle this weekend ✨

Come find me, touch and feel the textiles, discover the stories behind the craft. I would love to see you ❤️

21/08/2026

Last year, while I was back in Nagaland, I made a visit to Dimapur to spend some time with weavers who specialise in Eri silk, often known as peace silk or Ahimsa silk 🌿

As a fashion student back in 2010 I had spent quite a bit of time in the field with weaving communities across the Northeast who work with this fibre.

What makes Eri silk special is the way it is obtained. Unlike conventional silk, the moth is allowed to emerge naturally from its open ended cocoon before the fibre is harvested, soaked, hand pulled and spun into yarn — a slow and careful process that honours both the fibre and the creature. This is why it is known as peace silk or Ahimsa silk, meaning non violence.

What I find most meaningful is that this is not a new idea. These practices have existed within communities and traditions for generations, long before we had the language we use today to describe them 🤍

The Eri silk is woven on a traditional throw shuttle loom a large four post wooden frame loom with the weaver seated at one end operating the heddles and treadles with her feet. Whenever I go to Nagaland it is always family time but also back in the field connecting with the weavers.

I feel very fortunate to come from a part of the world where these traditions continue to exist. I had to bring the Eri silk stoles into my stand they sit beautifully alongside my handwoven products, sustainably made and supporting a traditional craft practice that is cruelty free 🌿

You can find the Eri Silk Stoles on my website via the link in my bio ✨

18/08/2026

After over 15 years of learning the craft hands-on, alongside a diploma and a master’s specialising in my cultural heritage textiles, I finally launched Senyü last year.

I stepped out into the craft markets with my handwoven pieces, figuring things out as I went, noticing what people picked up, listening to their suggestions, paying attention to what they were looking for, what they asked about and what they connected with.

My collection has grown since that first market, from soft furnishings to accessories, and a year of markets has taught me so much about the people who connect with these textiles and what they want to bring into their everyday lives.

One thing I’ve learnt is that people don’t just want to see the finished piece. They want to know where it began. And that’s what brings me immense joy about bringing my backstrap loom along to my markets.
I love when I can have my loom as part of my display. It creates an opportunity for the story behind these textiles to be seen, understood and experienced, adding so much more depth to the story behind each piece.

✨ Have you seen my loom at one of my markets?
If you have, give me a 🖐🏽

11/08/2026

I met Lynn Collins through one of my craft markets and she is now part of a lovely group of friends I have connected with through Senyü along the way 🤍
She recently sent me these photos of her Senyü cushion cover. Inspired by a traditional wall hanging design, reimagined and handwoven into a cushion cover. I just had to share it as it brings me absolute joy to see it sitting so beautifully in its new home 😊
Thank you Lynn for these lovely photos ❤️

Head over to my website via the link in bio to browse the Senyü homewear and accessories collection, pieces rich with culture, roots and stories 🌿

08/08/2026

A year ago, was my very first craft market when I launched Senyü. ❤️ (I had a mini trial at the magic hat cafe just before!)

Since then, I’ve learnt so much, met so many wonderful people and had some of the loveliest conversations along the way. It’s one of the things I treasure most about doing craft markets, the people and connections that come with them.

And now, after a whole year around the sun, I’m back at this Sunday, the 9th! ✨
I’ll be bringing my handwoven pieces, and if you’re around….come by, say hello and let’s have a catch-up! 😊

05/08/2026

Some conversations stay with me long after the craft markets. Some of the most meaningful relationships have come through sharing the story of Senyü 🤍

One of the conversations that keeps coming up is the ‘Burma Campaign’ and how their loved ones were there. Right there in Kohima, Nagaland, where I was born.

This is a sensitive topic because it is not only me who gets emotional but the other person too. These markets have brought me in touch with lasting connections, relationships shared by a land and even when we are borders apart the connection meets us here.

We stand here together in the present, yet once our worlds collided.🌿

What you may not know is that I didn’t truly discover the significance of the Kohima words until I came to the UK. Finding Kohima, my home, the place I was born, embedded into British memory and history.

This time when I was in India I made sure to take Leah with me. She is still too small to understand but one day she will. The beauty of humans coming together for a greater cause 🤍

The Commonwealth War Graves site in Kohima 🤍

Address

Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE

Website

https://senyucraft.com/

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