Malagasy craftsmanship at the pinnacle of global luxury
In Madagascar, green gold is found not in the mines, but in the palm trees. Raffia, for which the island supplies 90% of the world’s production, is the common thread running throughEileen Akbaraly‘s destiny. Through her Made for a Woman brand, she has succeeded in breaking through the glass ceiling that often confined straw products to the status of vacation souvenirs, and elevated them to the status of “statement pieces” in Avenue Montaigne boutiques.
The birth of a vocation
Eileen Akbaraly didn’t get into fashion by chance, but by conviction. An Italian-Indian mix who grew up in Madagascar, she was immersed from an early age in an environment where her father’s entrepreneurship met her mother’s social commitment.
After studying anthropology and fashion business in Rome, Milan and Paris, it was an internship in haute couture in Mumbai that proved to be the turning point.
“I was shocked that these beautiful products, which cost so much, were produced in such horrible conditions. I always knew that my life’s mission was to bring these two worlds – social and business – together.”
At the age of 25, she returned to Madagascar and founded Made for a Woman with six craftswomen. Six years later, there are more than 1,000 of them.
The Chloé Effect
At the launch, Eileen came up against a stubborn prejudice: in the collective imagination, a straw bag could not be a luxury product. To reposition the brand, she relied on technical innovation and avant-gardism.
The turning point came in 2019. She expressed a desire to collaborate with a brand that shared her ethical values, and was approached by Chloé (then in the midst of its B Corp transition). This official collaboration acted as a stamp of international credibility.
This recognition opened the doors to some of the biggest names in the industry: Fendi called on her for the “Hand in Hand” project to create a Madagascan version of the famous Baguette bag, then Bottega Veneta entrusted her with the design of its “Sardine” model. For the first time, an African social enterprise sees its name appear alongside the world’s luxury giants in their official communications.
A social enterprise model
For Eileen Akbaraly, the term “social enterprise” should not be the exception, but the norm. At Made for a Woman, profit is a tool in the service of impact. The workshop, housed in a former soap warehouse in Tananarive, is designed as a true community.
The company gives priority to employing women in highly vulnerable situations: single mothers, battered women, people with disabilities or former sex workers. The support we provide goes far beyond pay:
- Social services: full-time psychologists and social workers.
- Education: Two on-site daycare centers and plans for an elementary school.
- Wellness: A health center and mentoring programs.
“What we do shouldn’t be seen as magic. Restoring dignity to populations that have lost it is simply what all companies should be doing.”
Towards conscious fashion
Today, Eileen Akbaraly travels from Boston (Harvard) to London to carry this message: tomorrow’s luxury is traceable and transparent. She is currently working on internalizing her supply chain, integrating technologies such as blockchain and AI to guarantee total traceability, from the raffia forest to the end customer.
Made for a Woman is also undergoing a strategic rebranding. The brand is diversifying its offering into ready-to-wear and interior design, while strengthening its direct sales channel (B2C) to create an even more intimate link between artisan and consumer.
By proving that it’s possible to be a profitable business while putting people at the top of the pyramid, Eileen Akbaraly isn’t just selling bags; she’s mapping out a new era for African fashion: an era of sovereignty, pride and conscience.
About Eileen Akbaraly Founder and CEO of Made for a Woman, she is a graduate of Istituto Marangoni and has won several international awards for her commitment to sustainable development and social entrepreneurship.
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