Kathmandu, June 27 -- A shopper browsing a Ralph Lauren store in Manhattan might pause over a handbag before glancing over a belt or a wallet, unaware that part of its journey began thousands of miles away in Kathmandu.

The same is true at J Crew and American Eagle. Behind some of the accessories sold by three of America's most recognisable brands is Alina Shrestha, a 24-year-old Nepali designer who has spent the past few years working her way through one of the world's most competitive creative industries.

When Shrestha was a teenager in Kathmandu, she discovered Harajuku street fashion and tried to convince sceptical adults that fashion could be a real career. Today, she is an Accessories Designer at Ralph Lauren in New York, helping ...