Tanana Madagascar x Selvedge Artisan Goods
A specially crafted collection of woven raffia cloth conveys Betsimisaraka culture, connects generations of women, and advances locally led regeneration of a fragile forest ecosystem.
Image: Rachel Kramer/CPALI
In northeastern Madagascar, where communities live alongside disappearing rainforest, a small circle of weavers brings together textile making, natural materials, and ecological knowledge in a new Tanana Madagascar custom collection only available from Selvedge Artisan Goods.
These weavings aren’t simply a new expression of an old craft, they’re a living cycle of people, plants, knowledge, and place.
Tanana Madagascar
Image: Tanana Madagascar for Selvedge Artisan Goods
At the heart of the collection is a belief that textiles can be a force for social and ecological regeneration. Proceeds return to locally run programs dedicated to improving economic opportunities and restoring native species in landscapes that provide for both people and nature.
Image: Rachel Kramer/CPALI
Behind the cloth
For this special collection of twelve offerings in the 'Harungana' series, traditional raffia weaving technique, learned from elders in rainforest-bordering villages on Madagascar's Antainambalana River, is applied in contemporary designs. Raffia threads are naturally dyed with leaves of the Harungana tree in woven motifs inspired by traditional Betsimisaraka cloth, while others are relief-dyed in patterns that honor the island's endemic species.
Image: Tanana Madagascar for Selvedge Artisan Goods
We create opportunities for Malagasy artisans to live by their craft and regenerate nature in one of the world’s most imperiled places for biodiversity. It's silent work that lies behind every textile in the collection.
Rachel Kramer and Lalaina Raharindimby
Tanana Madagascar
Image: Tanana Madagascar for Selvedge Artisan Goods
Future Forward
The Tanana Madagascar x Selvedge Artisan Goods collection represents an important addition to the Tanana Madagascar regenerative textiles line. The traditionally inspired, naturally dyed weavings extend Tanana's offerings from handcrafted wild silk and raffia art and decor to new fringeless designs that elevate traditional stripe motifs. Each textile carries the rhythm of the loom and the knowledge of its maker -- a meeting of craft, place, and conservation that keeps a threatened weaving tradition alive while allowing Madagascar's natural world to shape its future.
Image: Rachel Kramer/CPALI
Our Stories
The shared social enterprise of CPALI and SEPALI Madagascar, Tanana Madagascar supports biodiversity, women-powered enterprise, and local innovations that help restore landscapes and strengthen families.
Selvedge Artisan Goods offers textiles that tell a story, in knowledge passed down through generations, and in materials that honor both maker and place. Each textile begins with a touch -- selected for its soul, the hands that shaped it, and the culture it carries.
