ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION SLOW FASHION RAW MATERIALS UPCYCLING PACKAGING
Environment
Environment
Our commitment to protecting and respecting the
biodiversity of Madagascar runs through all our practices,
from sourcing the materials to shipping the finished product.
Our commitment to protecting and respecting the biodiversity of Madagascar runs through all our practices, from sourcing the materials to shipping the finished product.
Our commitment to protecting and respecting the biodiversity of Madagascar runs through all our practices, from sourcing the materials to shipping the finished product.
READ MORE ON OUR SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
Environment Protection
Since 2022, we are verified by the World Fair Trade Organization for our gold-standard sustainable and fair-trade practices.
Environmental justice is at the core of our values: we constantly take steps to protect the incredible biodiversity of Madagascar and to prevent and revert climate change.
We invest heavily in R&D to ensure that we only use high-quality, sustainable materials.
For our main raw material, raphia, we work with local suppliers who hold GOTS certifications and are BSCI-audited, to guarantee a sustainable and transparent supply chain.
In partnership with those suppliers, and with the support of the local Ministry of the Environment, we participate in reforestation activities, such as planting over 1 million trees in 2022 to offset our carbon footprint.
We also develop awareness-raising actions against deforestation: in 2023, thanks to a partnership with local organization SOA GreenArt, we planted over 130 fast-growing local plants, involving over 260 artisans.
We are fully plastic free, both in our products and in our atelier; everything is biodegradable in less than 15 years, except the metal hardware, which can be recycled.
Environment Protection
Since 2022, we are verified by the World Fair Trade Organization for our gold-standard sustainable and fair-trade practices.
Environmental justice is at the core of our values: we constantly take steps to protect the incredible biodiversity of Madagascar and to prevent and revert climate change.
We invest heavily in R&D to ensure that we only use high-quality, sustainable materials.
For our main raw material, raphia, we work with local suppliers who hold GOTS certifications and are BSCI-audited, to guarantee a sustainable and transparent supply chain.
In partnership with those suppliers, and with the support of the local Ministry of the Environment, we participate in reforestation activities, such as planting over 1 million trees in 2022 to offset our carbon footprint.
We also develop awareness-raising actions against deforestation: in 2023, thanks to a partnership with local organization SOA GreenArt, we planted over 130 fast-growing local plants, involving over 260 artisans.
We are fully plastic free, both in our products and in our atelier; everything is biodegradable in less than 15 years, except the metal hardware, which can be recycled.
We believe in a return to craftsmanship and traditional artisanship with a contemporary twist: all our creations are artfully handmade with the highest savoir-faire, using timeless, quality materials and techniques that cannot be mimicked by machinery, but only mastered by highly skilled artisans.
In our atelier, our artisans create everything by hand on a made-to-order basis, allowing us to value quantity over quality and reflecting our belief that “slow fashion” represents the future of the industry.
All our products are 100% handmade, therefore our production capacity is limited – the more complicated pieces can take several weeks of intensive work. We know this isn’t the easy way, but we care more about quality and making a positive impact than turning a quick profit.
We believe in a return to craftsmanship and traditional artisanship with a contemporary twist: all our creations are artfully handmade with the highest savoir-faire, using timeless, quality materials and techniques that cannot be mimicked by machinery, but only mastered by highly skilled artisans.
In our atelier, our artisans create everything by hand on a made-to-order basis, allowing us to value quantity over quality and reflecting our belief that “slow fashion” represents the future of the industry.
All our products are 100% handmade, therefore our production capacity is limited – the more complicated pieces can take several weeks of intensive work. We know this isn’t the easy way, but we care more about quality and making a positive impact than turning a quick profit.
Raw Materials
Our main raw material is raphia, a durable vegetable fiber that uses the leaves of an endemic palm tree, Raphia farinifera.
Its leaves are pruned, dried, and then carefully split, peeled, dried, and finally combed to achieve a strong, durable, and flexible fiber, perfect for everyday objects – like baskets, nets, or mats – but also extremely versatile and supple for accessories, embroidery, and other intricate detail work.
We collect our raphia from a protected national park, where raphia palms are pruned, not cut down – a process that contributes to the overall health of the plant. The raphia is then dyed using AZO-free pigments to prevent heavy metal contamination, or organic pigments for natural, earthy shades.
To line our bags and hats, we use second-hand textiles purchased on the local markets, to contribute to a more circular economy model and to reduce waste.
Finally, we use ethically sourced zebu horn details from the local meat market, helping to recycle a byproduct from the meat industry that would otherwise go to waste.
Raw Materials
Our main raw material is raphia, a durable vegetable fiber that uses the leaves of an endemic palm tree, Raphia farinifera.
Its leaves are pruned, dried, and then carefully split, peeled, dried, and finally combed to achieve a strong, durable, and flexible fiber, perfect for everyday objects – like baskets, nets, or mats – but also extremely versatile and supple for accessories, embroidery, and other intricate detail work.
We collect our raphia from a protected national park, where raphia palms are pruned, not cut down – a process that contributes to the overall health of the plant. The raphia is then dyed using AZO-free pigments to prevent heavy metal contamination, or organic pigments for natural, earthy shades.
To line our bags and hats, we use second-hand textiles purchased on the local markets, to contribute to a more circular economy model and to reduce waste.
Finally, we use ethically sourced zebu horn details from the local meat market, helping to recycle a byproduct from the meat industry that would otherwise go to waste.
Upcycling
In 2023, we have focused strongly on an upcycling project that allows us to reuse raphia that would otherwise be thrown away to create one-of-a-kind products, drastically reducing our waste footprint, and further increasing the sustainability of our creations. Each of these creations is unique and completely different, like a custom-made work of art.
Thanks to a brand-new waste management project, we also give away any unneeded raphia scraps to NGOs, non-profit organizations, and small local business to create projects of their own.
Unused fabric cuttings are used to create reusable hygienic products for the artisans and their children, such as menstrual pads and diapers.
Upcycling
In 2023, we have focused strongly on an upcycling project that allows us to reuse raphia that would otherwise be thrown away to create one-of-a-kind products, drastically reducing our waste footprint, and further increasing the sustainability of our creations. Each of these creations is unique and completely different, like a custom-made work of art.
Thanks to a brand-new waste management project, we also give away any unneeded raphia scraps to NGOs, non-profit organizations, and small local business to create projects of their own.
Unused fabric cuttings are used to create reusable hygienic products for the artisans and their children, such as menstrual pads and diapers.
Packaging
Our labels are made of Antaimoro paper, a local recycled paper with real, hand pressed flowers, while our packaging is made of a natural fiber called raban, another derivate of the raphia plant, handwoven on a traditional loom.
All our packaging is reusable and completely recyclable, as we believe it is our duty to share in the “burden of recycling” by providing our customers zero-waste materials to reduce our collective waste footprint.
Packaging
Our labels are made of Antaimoro paper, a local recycled paper with real, hand pressed flowers, while our packaging is made of a natural fiber called raban, another derivate of the raphia plant, handwoven on a traditional loom.
All our packaging is reusable and completely recyclable, as we believe it is our duty to share in the “burden of recycling” by providing our customers zero-waste materials to reduce our collective waste footprint.