- Title: Malagasy designer raises profile of country's fledgling fashion industry
- Date: 3rd October 2019
- Summary: ANTANANARIVO, MADAGASCAR (RECENT) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF DESIGNER SITRAKA RAKOTO AND SEAMSTRESSES WORKING AT HER WORKSHOP EMBROIDERY ON SKIRT HAND SEWING CLOTHES MEASUREMENT ON BOARD SEAMSTRESS WORKING PINS (SOUNDBITE) (Malagasy) DESIGNER, SITRAKA RAKOTO, SAYING: "My work is my passion, all my time is spent on my work and I like what
- Embargoed: 17th October 2019 09:22
- Keywords: fashion industry Malagasy designer promotes locally made designs malagasy culture fashion industry threatened by cheap imports
- Location: ANTANANARIVO, MADAGASCAR
- City: ANTANANARIVO, MADAGASCAR
- Country: Madagascar
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Fashion
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZOKE3D
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Madagascar is not known for its haute couture but thanks to the work of a designer Sitraka Rakoto in the capital Antananarivo, the nation's fledgling fashion industry has been gathering interest.
The 35-year-old only launched her fashion line Sih Rakout two years ago, but her intricate embroidery and colorful illustrations have already attracted attention as far and wide as the US and Asia.
"My work is my passion, all my time is spent on my work and I like what I do," she said.
Rakoto says she draws inspiration from her environment and what goes in the country.
"These forests can feel pain when they are being burnt, they feel pain when they are being cut down, and all of that touch me deeply and it becomes my source of inspiration," she added.
But Rakoto says the fashion industry here still has a long way to go.
About 80 percent of the Malagasy population lives on less than US$2 per day. Along with low consumer buying power, Madagascar has also been hit with an influx of cheap and fashionable Chinese clothes, which spells doom for locally made wears.
"This outfit cost 38,000 AR, which is around 8 Euros right? I have already reduced the price down by 50 percent, it's a really good material. It's cotton and is soft to the touch but I ma struggling to sell it because people prefer Chinese products," Rakoto said.
Rakoto mainly sells her designs to international clients through social media platforms such as Facebook, but also recently opened a retail store in the capital Antananarivo.
To raise the country's fashion profile, Rakoto recently participated in a fair that brought together stakeholders from different industries in Madagascar. She showcased her latest collection named 'gasy tsara', meaning beautiful in the local Malagasy language.
In this collection, Rakoto said she wanted to celebrate Malagasy culture, by drawing and illustrating some of the country's scenic regions, painted on long white flowy dresses, allowing her customers to travel the country through her designs.
"This time around, I wanted to invite people to travel, and in that sense, it took a social aspect. Because people in Madagascar don't have the opportunity to travel. Most of the population does not get to travel because they do not have the means. So I told myself, I want to invite people to travel with my collection," she said.
"Everything is beautiful, even if I did not have the intention of buying anything, but it makes me want to buy it, especially since it's on sale," added one customer Sahaza Randrianjary.
Rakoto hopes to change the way Malagasies think about fashion and influence them to go to local designers as a first option before buying Chinese goods.
(Faniry Rasoanaivo, Lisa Ntungicimpaye) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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