Can luxury fashion empower women? Inside a sustainable social enterprise in Madagascar

Made For A Woman blends sustainable luxury, ethical fashion, and raffia craftsmanship while empowering women in Madagascar

Made For A Woman: Leading Madagascar’s Ethical and Sustainable Fashion Revolution

Creating high-quality, sustainable fashion that empowers women and drives social impact is no longer just an ideal; it’s a reality. More than just a fashion brand, Made For A Woman is Madagascar’s first women-led responsible social enterprise, setting the standard in ethical fashion, sustainable craftsmanship, and inclusive storytelling. Standing as an innovative movement and a new kind of business model for the fashion industry, they use locally sourced raffia from Madagascar’s national parks, combining transparency, authenticity, and purpose-driven design.

Founded in 2019 by Istituto Marangoni alumna Eileen Akbaraly, Made For A Woman has provided meaningful employment to hundreds of artisans, the majority of whom are women from vulnerable backgrounds. With a focus on slow fashion, social impact, and circular materials, the brand demonstrates that luxury and responsibility can coexist.

We met Eileen Akbaraly in Milan, where she shared her vision of running a fashion company that goes far beyond creating products—a company rooted in empowering women, preserving traditional crafts, and building sustainable communities.

Istituto Marangoni alumna Eileen Akbaraly founded her brand Made For A Woman in 2019. Courtesy of Vincent Thomas

Meet Eileen Akbaraly: Visionary Founder of a Social Enterprise Empowering Women

Eileen, could you tell us a bit about your background and the idea behind Made For A Woman?
I grew up in Madagascar, although I’m half Italian and half Indian. Madagascar is now considered one of the poorest countries in the world, but I’ve always seen its incredible potential—especially in the field of craftsmanship. That’s what inspired me to create Made For A Woman.

Would you describe Made For A Woman as a sustainable fashion brand, or is it something beyond that?
From the very beginning, it was clear to me that this had to be more than just a fashion brand. I envisioned it as a social enterprise—where the fashion product and the social impact go hand in hand. To me, Made For A Woman is not just about aesthetics or creative expression. It’s about building a space where people genuinely want to show up every day—where they feel seen, valued, and part of something meaningful. There’s no sense of competition, only a deep respect for each individual and their unique contribution.

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At Made For A Woman, craftsmanship is community. Each stitch is a story, each artisan part of something far greater than fashion

Raffia Reinvented: Madagascar’s Heritage Fibre in Luxury Fashion

How did the project transition from idea to reality?
After studying at Istituto Marangoni, I worked in India and Cambodia—experiences that truly shaped my perspective. Eventually, I felt a strong pull to return to Madagascar and pursue my vision. Around six years ago, I began working with six women who were unemployed and had experienced abuse. Initially, we weren’t creating fashion pieces; we were sewing clothes and uniforms for local children and older people. Every Sunday, we gather for small community events and create together—it was simple, but incredibly rewarding. I’m not formally trained as a designer, yet I’ve always been involved in the creative process. Around that time, Jacquemus featured raffia in one of its summer collections, which shifted the material’s perception in the fashion world. For us, it was a sign that we were on the right path.

How Made For A Woman Builds a Social-Impact Ecosystem That Transforms Lives

You had already started experimenting with raffia by then, hadn’t you?
Absolutely! Raffia has always been a part of Madagascar’s heritage and is considered a noble fibre—about 80% of the world’s raffia comes from this country. Using this traditional material and local craftsmanship, I created a small collection of around ten pieces and took them to Milan. People encouraged me to reach out to showrooms, which I was completely unaware of at the time. After connecting with the fashion industry and participating in the White trade show, I was asked to produce 1,000 pieces in just a few months. It was intense, but it allowed me to build a deep, direct bond with the women I work with. I was there every single day—from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.—closely overseeing each bag, because every piece is entirely handmade. More importantly, it gave me the chance to get to know each woman personally—their stories, their struggles, and their strength.

Raffia has always been a part of Madagascar’s heritage and Made For A Woman put it a the core of its production. Courtesy of Anoka Studio

So, you’ve managed to create meaningful employment opportunities for an entire community of women.
About five years ago, I established a partnership with the Ministry of Population here in Madagascar. They refer the country’s most vulnerable individuals to us for training and employment opportunities. Today, our team includes women from all walks of life—former sex workers, people with disabilities, blind artisans who contribute to our products, single mothers, and others with challenging pasts. What we want to show the world is that none of that matters—that a person’s background, education, or circumstances don’t define their worth or potential. At Made For A Woman, it’s about giving everyone a chance to thrive. It doesn’t matter what kind of education you have, where you come from, or how much money you have. At the end of the day, if you’re given the right tools, the right goals, and the right support, anyone can succeed, regardless of their starting point.

What core message drives your work and social impact?
You can become whoever you aspire to be; there are no limits if you learn to reconnect with your dignity. Society often imposes restrictions and labels on people, so the real question is: how do we break through these barriers? This challenge is at the heart of our work.

Rooted in purpose, Made For A Woman empowers individuals in Madagascar—many from challenging backgrounds—through creativity and professional growth. Courtsey of Geoffrey Gaspard

Game-Changing Fashion Collaborations: Chloé, Bottega Veneta, and Global Partnerships

What does it take to build a social-impact ecosystem supporting hundreds of people?
Today, we work with over 800 people, and we’ve built an entire social-impact ecosystem around them. We collaborate with psychologists and doctors, provide a dedicated space for children, and offer a range of services, from training programs and business workshops to dance classes. It’s a fully integrated, 360° environment designed to support emotional and psychological independence—which, to me, is just as important as financial empowerment. Two years into our journey, we were fortunate to have Chloé reach out to us.

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How did collaborating with a major fashion house like Chloé influence your company’s structure and ethical practices?
Chloé was particularly special. When we started working together, we had to navigate the entire process of becoming Fairtrade certified. That experience pushed us to formalise our company structure. We underwent audits, and I remember compiling over 100 pages of documentation about the brand. That collaboration added a new layer of ethical depth to our work. And now, we’re also in the process of becoming a B Corp, which is something I’m really proud of.

Which industry collaborations have been the most meaningful for Made For A Woman, and why?
Bottega Veneta was meaningful because, for the first time, they chose to produce outside of Italy. They worked with real raffia—ours—and used it in their bags. Even though they didn’t promote the collaboration much due to a change in creative direction, the bag still bears the label “Made For A Woman” on both the product and their website. It marked the beginning of what we hope will be a long-term collaboration.

Blockchain Meets Tradition: A Digital Passport for Raffia Traceability and Transparency in Fashion

And what about the “digital passport” for the raffia material?
I’ve discussed the social impact side of our work extensively, but we’re also focused on innovation and transparency, especially when it comes to materials. Right now, we’re developing a blockchain-based digital passport for the raffia supply chain in Madagascar, which I find incredibly exciting. The idea is to track every step of the process—from the health of the raffia plant to harvesting, crafting, and all the way to the final product reaching the consumer. But it’s not just about traceability; it’s also about storytelling. We want people to connect with the journey behind the product and understand the hands and lives involved in its creation. Honestly, I think people are tired of final products that lack a story or soul.

The Raffia Journey Documentary: Certified Materials and Award-Winning Sustainability

How do you ensure full transparency and share the story behind every raffia product?
All of our materials are certified—from the pigments to the dyes—so we’re not sourcing raffia randomly from the market. We’re committed to full transparency. I collaborated with filmmaker and photographer Geoffrey Gaspard to produce a short documentary that traces the entire raffia supply chain in Madagascar. This documentary, The Raffia Journey, was presented at the Cannes Film Festival three years ago, where it won a sustainability award during one of the events. That experience reinforced my belief that education, transparency, and storytelling are just as important as the product itself.

Made For A Woman has always been committed to transparency ensure ethical conditions throughtout the whole raffia supply chain. Courtesy of Geoffrey Gaspard

Scaling Global Impact: Made For A Woman’s Innovative Social Enterprise Model

What do you hope for Made For A Woman in the future?
I see Made For A Woman as not just a brand, but as an innovative movement—a new business model for the fashion industry. My focus isn’t solely on the product. It’s on the experience we provide to both the consumer and the artisan. That’s the heart of our strategy today. The unique model we’ve established in Madagascar has attracted interest from companies around the world, from Brazil to Afghanistan, India to Mexico. They asked how they can replicate this kind of system within their own communities or industries. One of my goals is to expand into consultancy, offering guidance on how to implement these holistic, impact-driven models not just in fashion but across various sectors. At the core of this vision are the principles of well-being, sustainability, and empowerment—universal pillars that extend far beyond fashion.

Slow Fashion and the Future of Sustainable Luxury with Eileen Akbaraly

One last question: What is the ultimate vision for Made For A Woman and its impact on the fashion industry?
Mass production? Absolutely not. Product as experience? Slow fashion? Yes—that’s exactly the path we’re on. Creativity will always be a part of us—we’re inherently creative beings. However, it’s time we develop and express that creativity through a different lens—one that’s more intentional, inclusive, and humane.

Silvia Tarini
Editor, Milano

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