Kathmandu, 29 June: Manisha Shrestha, who went to Denmark in 2014, completed her education there from grades 11 and 12 up to a master’s degree. Her parents run a Japanese sushi restaurant in Copenhagen. Living with them, she couldn’t focus solely on her studies.
In her free time, she worked at the restaurant. She also had a keen interest in photography and videography, which she used to assist in the restaurant’s marketing.
Manisha wanted to do something in her own way, but she remained focused on her studies. Spending her free time at the restaurant alongside her education helped her become familiar with life in a foreign land.
While continuing to think about starting something of her own, she eventually launched a business in 2020 under the brand ‘Dimaicha’, selling handwoven Nepali clothing.
According to her, ‘Maicha’ is a Newari word lovingly used to refer to daughters or young women. She combined it with ‘Di’, meaning sustainable, to create the brand name ‘Dimaicha’.
She imports shirts, pants, traditional suruwal, bags, makeup pouches, and other handmade items from Nepal to Denmark.
She has her fabrics handwoven in Nepal according to her own designs. The yarn, however, is imported from India. Manisha explains that Nepali yarn hasn’t yet gained global recognition, which is why she relies on Indian yarn.
“My vision is to make handwoven Nepali products globally recognized and to empower Nepali women,” she says. “In Nepal, we prioritize women’s participation in the weaving process. We import yarn from India and weave the fabric in Nepal.”
Manisha prefers to produce organic fabric as much as possible. Even the dyes used are plant-based. She tries to use raw materials from Nepal whenever possible, although that hasn’t always been feasible.
There’s a specific reason why she focuses on handwoven traditional Nepali fabrics.
“It’s difficult to compete in the market with modern designs. But traditional designs are well loved by many,” she explains.
Most of the clothing designs are created by Manisha herself. When needed, she also gets designs made in Nepal. Although the clothes exported from Nepal to Denmark are not branded, they are high quality, which has made them popular among customers.
“Danes can tell the quality of fabric just by touching it. They trust our quality. Here, the market isn’t a challenge for us,” she says. “It also takes a long time to deliver orders from Nepal to Denmark,” she says.
Manisha is not solely focused on Dimaicha—it’s her business, but she also works at a Danish bank.
After completing her master’s degree in 2023, she applied for a job at the bank. She submitted the required documents but didn’t really expect to be hired, as she had no prior experience in banking.
Even without high expectations, she was called by the bank about a month later.
“I had mentioned that I was running a business and intended to continue it, and I feel that may have worked in my favor,” she said. “Although I work at the bank, I don’t have to go to the office every day. I can work from home, which makes things easier for me.”
Manisha has opened a stall for Dimaicha in Copenhagen. She hopes to expand the brand to other European countries as well.
In the future, she also plans to establish Dimaicha in Nepal.
