Helfand does most of her work with the manufacturer via email. “There’s definitely a communication gap,” she says, and adding to the confusion is Nepal’s ongoing political strife. “My manufacturer has had to diversify its production because they’ve had this political situation with the Maoists. You’ll have a factory full of 100 people, and these guys will come in and everybody leaves work at once.” The factory shown here used to be the company’s headquarters but it’s since been abandoned and used for storage.