Craftsmanship
Raffia crochet in Madagascar: an exceptional craft for luxury houses
Why leading fashion houses produce their crochet raffia bags in Madagascar: techniques, quality control and SOBIKA capacity.
Read articleJournal
Material, manufacturing, responsible sourcing.
Short notes for creative directors and sourcing managers.
SOBIKA articles
Material
Natural raffia dyes: 24 lasting shades born of the Malagasy flora
Dye plants, dye baths, fixation: how SOBIKA produces 24 stable natural shades on raffia fibre, with no chemicals.
Read article
Luxury sourcing
Anatomy of a luxury raffia bag: weave, lining and finishings
Weave, reinforcements, lining, hardware, leather finishings: a technical breakdown of a luxury raffia bag made for fashion houses.
Read article
Trends
Raffia trends for summer 2027
Silhouettes, crochet stitches, palette and runway signals: what the spring-summer 2026 shows tell us about the raffia season to come in summer 2027.
Read article
Material
A guide to Madagascar's traditional fibres: raffia, penjy, rabane
Beyond raffia: penjy, rabane, jonc, vondro. A sourcing guide to Malagasy plant fibres for designers and buyers in fashion and interiors.
Read articleSourcing
Sourcing raffia in Madagascar: the guide for fashion houses and designers
Concrete criteria to pick a raffia contract manufacturer in Madagascar without nasty surprises on material, lead times or compliance.
Read article
B2B
Raffia MOQ and lead times: what a product manager should know
Realistic numbers, buffers to plan for, and the classic pitfalls when scheduling a raffia collection produced in Madagascar.
Read articleLOI Confection articles
Raffia
From raffia palm to finished bag: artisanal making in Madagascar
The complete process behind raffia bags: harvesting, natural dyeing, crochet and braiding. Article published on LOI Confection.
Read on loimada.comCraftsmanship
Raffia crochet: Malagasy craft serving fashion
5 crochet techniques, 9 weaving types, 24 natural shades: the art of Malagasy raffia by Atelier Sobika.
Read on loimada.comMaterial
Natural dyes in Madagascar: lasting colours and local know-how
Malagasy natural dyes — indigo, hibiscus, turmeric — serving sustainable fashion without synthetic chemicals.
Read on loimada.com
Upcycling
Raffia and upcycling: Atelier Sobika's sustainable innovation
How Atelier Sobika combines natural Madagascar raffia and textile upcycling to create sustainable fashion accessories.
Read on loimada.comMaterial
The benefits of natural Malagasy raffia
Why Madagascar raffia is a material of the future for sustainable accessories: ecological, artisanal and available in 24 shades.
Read on loimada.com
Upcycling
Textile upcycling and patchwork: turning offcuts into sustainable fashion
How textile offcuts and natural materials are reintegrated into patchwork, accessories and limited editions. Article published on LOI Confection.
Read on loimada.com