Gaëlla and Dimitri had lived in Madagascar all their lives and have loved sharing, living and working with the Madagascan’s people.

“After moving to Sydney, Australia it was important for us to keep a close tie with Madagascar. We would like to share our love and passion for the country in Australia and around the globe. With many labels in shops reading ‘Made in China’ or ‘Made in India’, we found it a waste to not share the amazing handiwork of the Madagascan women.”

By creating work for the locals, the establishment of Made in Mada assisted in maintaining traditional Madagascan crochet and weaving production and provided workers with a sustainable income.
The nature of the products and growth of the business in the past few years means their income is not only seasonal as we give them the opportunity to work all year round.
The result of the locals working in favourable conditions, close to home and close to their families, is the beautifully pieces made by hand with unmatched craftsmanship.

Made in Mada’s range is created from all natural, sustainably sourced fibres which mainly originate from the native raffia tree.

So what is raffia?
Raffia palms grow in the middle of the tropical Madagascan rainforest and actually need to be harvested regularly to allow other fauna and flora to grow. The palm has a short trunk and leaves that may be up to 18m long! Nearly 100 smaller leaves which are cut and torn off in parallel lines compose each of these branches. Madagascan use the fibers harvested from these trees to traditionally weave baskets and hats. Once treated, the fiber is soft, pliable, strong, durable, easy to dye, non-shrinking when wet, and biodegradable.

Each Made in Mada piece is expertly hand crafted by extremely talented woman in Madagascar. You can learn all about the Made in Mada journey below.

Made In Mada is committed to regenerating raffia in Madagascar by joining the Green Circle, a community of nationally and internationally engaged actors alongside Bôndy.

Through a three-year partnership, Made In Mada and Bôndy will plant 1,000 trees annually in the Ambanja region - including 700 agroforestry trees and 300 raffia palms. This project is designed, not only to rehabilitate the environment, but to secure the future of raffia, a material at the very heart of Made In Mada’s creations.