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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Raffia, jute, straw, rabane: a comparative guide to natural fibres
Comparing raffia, jute, straw and rabane before launching an accessory collection: origin, fibre length, suppleness, sheen and uses.
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Certifications and traceability of Madagascar raffia: what fashion houses require
WRAP, GOTS, OCS, ICS, BSCI: what they cover, how a Madagascar workshop maintains them, and what actually matters at audit.
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History of raffia in Madagascar: from royal fibre to contemporary fashion
How raffia moved from a royal fibre of the Merina kingdom in the 18th century to the signature material of contemporary fashion houses.
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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.
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Natural dyes in Madagascar: lasting colours and local know-how
Malagasy natural dyes — indigo, hibiscus, turmeric — serving sustainable fashion without synthetic chemicals.
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Upcycling
Raffia and upcycling: Atelier Sobika's sustainable innovation
How Atelier Sobika combines natural Madagascar raffia and textile upcycling to create sustainable fashion accessories.
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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.
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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.
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