From modest origins
Tahiana Création was founded in 1983 by its CEO Marie Alexandrine RASOANANTENAINA, who has been an artisan since her childhood.
Alexandrine started by sewing children’s bermuda shorts with the scraps of fabric left by her grandmother who was a seamstress, and sold them by going door to door. At that time, she was earning 1,500 Ar or $ 0.5 which she invested for the purchase of fabrics.
Five years later, in 1988, she recruited an employee to do embroidery and started prospecting new customers in town.
People were starting to take interest in his product and his clientele gradually increased.
In 1990, the number of Tahiana Creation’s customers evolved, most of which were resellers.
In 1992, Tahiana Création carried out an experiment to create a natural painting. A month of research allowed them to discover techniques using leaves, bark, fruit stones and the roots of natural plants. So far, 40 kinds of natural colors from plants have been used.
In 1996, Tahiana Creation borrowed 200,000 Ar ($ 60) from a microfinance, in order to acquire a sewing machine, and a year later, another loan of 300,000 Ar ($ 85) to purchase raw materials. such as fabrics, raffia and vetiver roots to plant. That same year, Tahiana Creation hired two new employees.
First steps abroad
Later, we met Beatrice Elvingueur, our first foreign client and partner of Tahiana Creation. She has a sales store in Lyon, France and ordered our products such as table decorations with natural coloring that she imported from France.
In 2006, I followed a training course including 5 modules with Madacraft: Design, Prototyping, Production, Management, Marketing, which I succeeded with Honors as Major of the promotion.
The number of employees of the company reached 16, and the export of the products spread to the countries of Europe and Africa.
International recognition
Subsequently I was selected to participate in several international programs for the promotion of crafts but also of the place of women in this sector. Being even a trainer for SACEM, an initiative to promote handicrafts for women in Africa.
In 2014, I was also selected to participate in the AFRICAN WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM, as part of the INTERNATIONAL VISITOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE.
A program that assists women who are small and medium business owners which transforms their societies through economic development and social advocacy in their communities.
Since 2014, Tahiana Création has participated each year in the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe in the United States. An international market for the promotion of folk arts that create economic opportunities for and with folk artists from around the world.