(a love story)
Namaste! Sunrise Pashmina is a family business run by Empar and Seth Sicroff, in collaboration with our producer Pranab Manandhar and his family. We love Nepal and we love pashmina, and we think you should, too. That's our mission.
One thing that Nepal and pashmina have in common is that words and photographs can't really convey why people make such a fuss over them. Sure, we have a lot to say in this Website, but that's because it's all we've got. But whether the subject is Nepal, pashmina, or Sunrise, our message is the same: |
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Left: Empar at Red Feet, with zebra print pashmina. Right: Seth tries to stay out of photos. This one was taken in 2015 at a presentation of the Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal, which Empar and Seth also administer.
Namaste! Sunrise Pashmina is a family business run by Empar and Seth Sicroff, in collaboration with our producer Pranab Manandhar and his family. We love Nepal and we love pashmina, and we think you should, too. That's our mission.
One thing that Nepal and pashmina have in common is that words and photographs can't really convey why people make such a fuss over them. Sure, we have a lot to say in this Website, but that's because it's all we've got. But whether the subject is Nepal, pashmina, or Sunrise, our message is the same: Feel the difference!
Above,left: Empar at Red Feet, with zebra print pashmina. Above, right: Seth tries to stay out of photos. This one was taken in 2015 at a presentation of the Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal, which Empar and Seth also administer.
We sell online only, which means that all of our goods are fresh, not palpated by curious fingers or breathed on by vaccine deniers. And our prices don't have to cover a lot of overhead. Win-win! However, if you actually live near us, we can arrange for a personal hand-off and save you the shipping cost. Plus, you can meet our wolfhound. And our satisfaction guarantee is absolute, so you're not really buying sight unseen.
Sunrise Pashmina originated as a project intended to build capacity in the traditional gateway zone for budget tourism in Nepal. We helped Tsering Choekyap, a Tibetan refugee, switch from trekking gear to pashmina sales. This international export enterprise was intended to serve as a model and collaborator for other local artisans, and in some respects it was successful. But it was a transitional arrangement, and these days Sunrise Pashmina is a somewhat more conventional commercial enterprise.
Empar does the product selection and modeling. Seth handles marketing, including this Web site; we both handle customer service, but Seth is usually the one who answers emails and telephone, as Empar holds down the day-jobs. For twenty years she managed Red Feet Wine Market & Spirit Provisions, the best wine store in upstate New York. Then she moved over to Wide Awake Bakery (more about that later), and she also has an position at Cornell University's College of Engineering.
Seth and Empar at Syangboche, with Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam in the background. More photos!
Above: Conversion from trekking to pashmina
Above: Pranab's store in Thamel, Kathmandu.
Above:Empar prepares to take a Gesar blanket to the post office.
Empar and Seth have two daughters (Liana, 20, and Gabriela, 18), an Irish Wolfhound (Chewbacca), two cats (Bella and Mowgli), a hedgehog (Harley), and Turbo, the green slider. Liana is a dancer and a vegan. She is studying biology (pre-vet) at the University at Buffalo NY. Gabriela just started her first year at SUNY Brockport and already has a position as a TA in psychology. We're really proud of them.
Empar is from Alaquas, in Valencia province, Spain, and she has an engineering degree from Valencia Polytechnic. Seth has an MA in geography (specializing in Himalayan tourism) from the University of California at Davis, as well as a PhD in Medieval Studies and MA in Comparative Literature from Harvard, and a BA in English from Cornell.
Sunrise Pashmina is a global project. Freedom, happiness, and prosperity are not local affects: to the extent that they are not available anywhere in the world, our own are necessarily diminished, even if we are unaware of the connections.
Empar gets her US citizenship
As global citizens, we at Sunrise reject the notion of America First. We would like to express our gratitude and our welcome to all the immigrants who contribute to America and help America make good on its promise to the world.
More specifically, we believe in the value of travel and adventure. The world would be a safer, and happier place if more people did a bit of globe-trotting. Sunrise Pashmina grew out of our efforts to promote backpacking tourism in Nepal, which is one of the last best places in the world, but needs commitment and stewardship from guests as well as host communities. If you happen to be going there, please contact us for suggestions. We'll even tell you where to get the same shawls we sell, at local prices. If you go to Himalaya Silk and Pashmina in Thamel, we'll see that Pranab offers you the same prices we pay.
In the context of Nepal and remote mountainous generations in general, we are advocates of backpacker tourism, which tends to trickle-drip money directly into the hands of the local people, while encouraging community collaboration to protect both the natural environment and the cultural assets on which their happiness and their livelihood depend. Of course, backpacker tourism must be part of a full array of carefully managed tourism formats, and the entire sector depends on strong relationships between individuals, agencies, and commercial enterprises around the world.
Empar and Seth are founding directors of Mountain Legacy International, which administers the Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal, personally authorized by Sir Edmund Hillary in 2002; the international prize recognizes remarkable contributions in cultural and natural conservation in mountainous regions. We serve as consultants for the Nepal Tourism Board and the Nepal Mountaineering Association. We are also chief organizers of the Sister Cities link between Ithaca NY and Pokhara, Nepal.
Seth has served for fifteen years as the Nepal editor for Wandering Educators, an award-winning travelogue. In addition, he has published, edited, and collaborated on numerous books and articles relating to mountain stewardship. Here are a few:
We used to post our Fan Mail on a separate page of this web site. (Eventually it became too unwieldy to manage, due to the sheer volume.) But your are welcome to wallow.
Recently we set up an account on Trustpilot, and we have a few reviews there, which we hope you will read... and eventually add to.
Comment posted by WY on Trustpilot.com:
Quality purchase from Sunrise Pashmina Purchased from Sunrise Pashmina, Seth was knowledgeable in her products and recommendations. Products are of high quality too! Highly recommend them.
(Thanks, Wilma!)
Read more reviews.
We realize that buying a pashmina shawl is an expensive and complicated purchase. Colors, size, fabric blend, embroidery, yada-yada-yada... Let's talk about it. No voice-mail menus. No hard sell. If we don't have what you want, or can't get it to you in time, we'll tell you right off.
English a problem? Empar is a native speaken of Spanish and Catalan, and essentially native in English as well. Seth can manage communication in Spanish and French, and had to pass proficiency exams in several other languages back in grad school. Call us any time at (607) 256-0102, or us email at info@sunrise-pashmina.com.
Seth with his Irish Wolfhound Namche, at Syangboche, with Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam in the background.
Sunrise Pashmina
511 W. Green St.
Ithaca,
NY 14850 USA
