The natural material derived from palm leaves, and traditionally reserved for Gabon's nobles and village chiefs, gained international attention on the runways of the world's fashion capital.
Breakdown
- Raffia, a palm leaf textile, featured on Paris runways for the first time
- Designer Chuchu Lazar uses raffia in nearly all his garments 27s
- Raffia has deep cultural and spiritual meaning in Gabon 1m 0s
- Lazar wants raffia recognized globally and protected as Gabonese heritage 1m 47s
- Lazar began sewing at age nine with no formal fashion training 2m 6s