Nothing personal, it’s just business. How many times have we heard this? How many times have we been told that making money requires a thick skin because, by its very nature, economic success is inevitably built on exploitation? Then, along comes Eileen, with her sweet smile and crystal clear vision, and – in just 4 years of business – she manages to create and establish a business model that prioritises human dignity, while simultaneously offering products priced “on demand”.
This is what we want to demonstrate, that it is possible to be a company, to be profitable, to make beautiful products, but at the same time to do good, to help people emotionally, financially and psychologically.
Made For A Woman today employs over 350 women and provides good living conditions for their families, in one of the poorest countries in the world. At the same time, it catches the attention of the media and the runways of the major fashion houses, shaking up the glossy world of fashion. Made For A Woman demonstrates, through action, a successful business model that not only sets a benchmark for the biggest luxury brands but also revitalises an entire community, creating welfare, concrete job opportunities, empowerment, and social redemption. Lots of business, zero abuse.
Made For A Woman: what is it?
Made For A Woman’s journey began in Madagascar in 2019, with the clear vision and stubborn will of Eileen Akbaraly to combine, in a winning and scalable project, business opportunities, social equity and a focus on looking after the environment. Today Made For A Woman is contaminating the global luxury landscape, with its ability to bring to the forefront responsible fashion creations, sourced from sustainable materials and adherent to sustainable labour policies, becoming synonymous with high-end artisanal couture.
Focused on the fundamental values of integrity and transparency, Made For A Woman entrusts its creations to the hands of women from vulnerable backgrounds, giving them a real possibility of redemption and the Malagasy community an invaluable platform for craftsmanship.
Since I was a child I always knew I wanted to find a way to make a difference in my home country, Madagascar, combining my love of fashion and the urgent need to put a stop to the incredible social inequalities I saw.
The first fashion start-up in Madagascar rooted in social entrepreneurship, based on female emancipation, environmental protection and the preservation of ancient Malagasy artisanal traditions. Today it is in the spotlight of the fashion world and a favourite with the top trade magazines. But let’s start from the beginning: how did Made For A Woman come about?
I’m half Italian and half Indian, but I grew up in Madagascar. Since I was a child I always knew I wanted to find a way to make a difference in my home country, Madagascar, combining my love of fashion and the urgent need to put a stop to the incredible social inequalities I saw. So, after finishing my studies, I decided to return to this island, which I consider my land, to give something back to my people, to my country, and in 2019 I founded Made for a Woman, choosing a social entrepreneurship approach, with the aim of improving the overall quality of life of people in Madagascar. We started in 8, in a small workshop in the capital, today we work with more than 350 artisans, most of whom come from very difficult backgrounds. We produce unique pieces, appreciated by the most prestigious fashion houses, but the thing that drives us crazy with pride is that these one-off pieces are, literally, tools and expression of a business model that chooses to be based on the redemption and dignity of the human being. Not on mere exploitation.
The thing that drives us crazy with pride more than anything else is that these one-off pieces are, literally, tools and expression of a business model that chooses to be based on the redemption and dignity of the human being, not on mere exploitation.
It is practically impossible to talk about Made For A Woman without talking about the individual people who make it up. In fact, in this incredible microcosm, the product and the role are not the goal: looking after the people who take care of them is. Production is just a tool. So, contrary to our format, today we are going to tell you our individual stories. Eileen, let’s start with you: does the above sentence resonate with you?
Our business model, which is the innovative part of our company, is that we are able to integrate a social impact project into the production line . This is even more central when we consider that the textile sector is the third in the world in terms of number of people involved and it impacts the quality of life of millions and millions of people, in developing and underdeveloped countries. You know, the idea of having to go to work every day and being unhappy, not even receiving enough to support yourself, how is that normal?
We should go to work happy, we should feel like going to work, knowing that we find respect, someone who cares about us, and the conditions to express our potential and talents. We are social beings, we need to spend time together, to feel cared for. And I believe that the workplace is somewhere that has a responsibility to give back to employees the love they deserve and the attention they deserve. So yes, it is essential to focus on the awareness that production is a tool.
You know, the idea of having to go to work every day and being unhappy, not even receiving enough to support yourself, how is that normal? We should go to work happy, knowing that we find respect and the conditions to express ourselves.
Mialy, 23, a disarming smile and a significant role in Made for A Woman. How did you join the project?
After graduation I submitted many applications, but when I had the opportunity to join Made For A Woman, I had no doubts: it was the right place for me. Its unique and incredible mission of doing business by committing to support the vulnerable people of Madagascar, with a special focus on women’s empowerment, gives real meaning to our everyday engagement and it makes me feel lucky to be here.
In addition, working in Made For A Woman has allowed me to grow a lot. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new, both professionally and personally. And, very important to me, this job gave me the opportunity to help my family meet their needs.
Today Mialy is the only graduate in her family, she holds a managerial role in the company and is attending a Master’s Degree in Finance and Accounting. Thanks to her, her family has the resources they need to live with peace of mind. It is thanks to her that her brother is at university and, in the future, the younger will go too. At 23, she can support the entire family.
How does it make you feel at just 23 years old, already having all this responsibility?
It really makes me feel lucky, that’s the most important thing. I naturally always try to put things into perspective, to do things properly, and, most importantly, focus on the future and the bigger goals we are striving to achieve. I am really very grateful that life has given me the chance to be part of Made For A Woman and not other companies,
because here I really feel as if I’ve achieved my full potential . It is important to me to contribute to the prosperity of Made For A Woman, because I know that it is a company with unique value and great potential.
I remain aware of all the women still forced to live day by day. My commitment to grow professionally is also for them, to create and support conditions that give new possibilities to those who need them.
There is one detail that impressed us considerably before, as you were talking to each other back stage: the almost maternal attention with which Eileen reassured Mialy and the absolutely generous confidence with which Mialy smiled back. Let’s say – for the most part – not quite the classic boss-employee relationship… Here it’s essential to stop and reflect on the value of #sisterhood, even in working relationships.
Mialy – Eileen tells us with passion – is one of the first people who made me see, with crystal-clear clarity, the immense untapped potential of my country. She is one of the smartest people I know, she is very young and supports her entire family on her own and there is not a single day, a single moment, when I have not seen her smile. You know, there are days when I come to work in a bad mood and maybe I get annoyed, I get tired. She doesn’t, ever, she smiles. I have a lot of respect for her, for the way she tackles life and the commitment she puts into her work, how could I not do my best to be by her side in a loyal, full way, like you would do with a sister? She does it for me. And at the same time I think: why stop there, with her? How many other people are out there who deserve the same opportunities and that we have not yet been able to reach? {#sisterhood is also a reminder to never feel like we have made it or are superior to someone, it is a reminder to strive to create the opportunities that we have had for someone else. It doesn’t matter where you come from, or what you own, who cares? At some point our lives will end. We will all leave this world one day in the same way, so let’s try to make the best of it for everyone, all together.
#sisterhood is also a reminder to never feel like we have arrived or are superior to someone, it is a reminder to strive to create for someone else the opportunities we have had.
#sisterhood – echoes Mialy – must above all be about reminding us to be grateful for what we have and to remain generous, committing ourselves so that others can also have the opportunity for a better life. I am 23 years old and I have the responsibility to support my family, but I am lucky, because I can do it and I can do it with joy, and feel fulfilled. But I remain aware of all the women still forced to live day by day, enduring unspeakable conditions in order to earn a few coins with which to buy food for their children or grandchildren. They can’t save money, they can’t plan for the future. My commitment to grow professionally is also for them, so that I can do my best to create and support conditions that give new possibilities to those who need them. That’s what being sisters means. We have to learn to be grateful and leave the best of us everywhere, wherever we go, whatever we do.
What is the biggest contribution you hope to make with the @MadeForAWomanproject?
I think Made For A Woman is an excellent model that should be replicated in both developing and developed countries. What we are does not require any special conditions, what we do is give back dignity, the same dignity that everyone deserves. This can be done, regardless of the specific business area. What we do, what’s really different, is that we have psychologists, we have doctors, we have a children’s area. We have health insurance for everyone. We have food for everyone. These are basic necessities that everyone needs in order to live. This is what we want to demonstrate, that it is possible to be a company, to be profitable, to make beautiful products, but at the same time to do good, to help people emotionally, financially and psychologically.
This business model has not made us more fragile or kept us in the shadows, thanks to this model today we are contacted by all the biggest brands in the fashion world. Our commitment is to use this visibility to make our business model increasingly well-known, so that slowly everyone in the textile sector follows this path.
Thanks to this business model, today we are contacted by all the biggest brands. Our commitment is to use this visibility so that slowly everyone in the textile sector follows this path.
