In this focus on “Lambahoany”, we meet Samira Mihaja MOUMINI, founder of 3 Ladies Pirates, and learn more about the brand.

Lambahoany: Samira explains.

A Lambahoany is simply put a traditional Malagasy fabric panel, looking a bit like Tanzanian and Comorian “kanga”. However, unlike “kanga”, a lambahoany displays less repetitive pattern and conveys a message or a Malagasy proverb. The image of a typical Malagasy life scene is printed on the bright-coloured panel made of cotton and processed by COTONA.

Lambahoany worn by Malagasy women, tied at the waist (Copyright: Henintsoa Rafalia)

Wearing a lambahoany is the Malagasy way of dressing up for fancy and family events: weddings, family visits, or funerals. It is a unisex attire. We can choose to tie it at the waist or around the chest. We can veil it to protect ourselves from the burning sun of the coasts, and that is why it is made of comfortable fabric like cotton.

The lambahoany is not worn only in Madagascar; our diaspora loves it a lot. A way for them to reconnect with the Malagasy culture!

Nevertheless, beyond its traditional purpose, women wear a lambahoany as a pareo on the beach. We can use a panel to cover our car seats or our sofa pillows, or simply as a wall deco.

3 Ladies Pirates: the pioneer of lambahoany-based high-end fashion.

Samira, “Chief Captain” of 3 Ladies Pirates recalls how the adventure started in 2013 in Antsiranana with two friends from JCI (Junior Chamber International). Their first business move was the resale of free zones products. Later they started copying fashion designs found on the internet, until they realized it was a non-viable and non-sustainable idea. 3 Ladies Pirates was born in 2015. It is the first fashion brand of high-end ready-to-wear using lambahoany in its items tailored for men and women: shirts, skirts, jackets, dresses, kimonos, or bombers.

Today Samira works with three independent and motivated seamstresses who have their own sewing studios. Before Covid-19, 3 Ladies Pirates dealt with an average of 15 orders a month.

3 Ladies Pirates is a fully digital fashion brand which sells its items only on social media: Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Later, customers will be able to buy items directly from their website.

A brand tailored for the international market.

At the very beginning, Samira and her colleagues thought of using only cotton, “soga”, or even wax. Even though 3 Ladies Pirates uses some “landy” from time to time, they already envisioned their brand would go international, hence lambahoany sounded more appropriate. Lambahoany items would look more wonderful and best represent Madagascar in online stores in Africa, Europe, Asia, and America.

3 Ladies Ladies sells local, but its prices are not that “local-friendly”. Most of their customers are senior executives, expatriates and tourists who want to take a piece of Madagascar with them. 3 Ladies Pirates’ slogan “Bring out the Malagasy that lies in you” suggests whoever wants to wear their products can, regardless of their nationality. Since the Covid outbreak, the company has received huge orders from the diaspora in Europe and Africa.

Ethical brand

3 Ladies Pirates is an ethical brand and does not hold stocks. Items are made on demand via social media and are delivered within three weeks, depending on the customer’s location. At the local level, the brand works with MBike bicycle delivery service. To better serve international customers and to speed up deliveries, 3 Ladies Pirates uses the postal system for local deliveries outside Antananarivo and abroad and has started using DHL International’s services since June for international deliveries. This is to give customers options in terms of delivery time and costs.

Besides, Samira offers collections as well from time to time, such as BASIA (or “star”), a women-only collection launched earlier this year.

Powersuit Kamala, BASIA collection (Copyright: Daniel Rabemazava)

Today, the ethical side of 3 Ladies Pirates’ activity makes it stand out from other new players who have followed the wave. The brand’s focus is on packaging (ban of plastic bag, paper or cardboard packaging only), on less polluting delivery, on the quality of the fabric used (made in Madagascar by COTONA). It is important to recall that 3 Ladies Pirates is a high-end ready-to-wear brand, not a high fashion company though.

It is important to note that when Samira launched the BASIA collection, she worked with three female models: Warda, Laurence and Dina who do not necessarily have the morphology of a typical slim, young, and tall model with a flat belly.

“Women should feel comfortable regardless of how their morphology is. Women are highly valued by our brand.” – Samira Mihaja MOUMINI

The right attire for the right event

Samira gives an example of a couple preparing for the big day. She would draw and propose a model appropriately designed for the probable weather on the event date and the body part the client would like to highlight.

Nevertheless, recently, 3 Ladies Pirates has significantly reduced the volume of lambahoany used for an item in order to offer something not-too-much formal that someone could wear everyday.

3 Ladies Pirates’ next move

Today, 3 Ladies Pirates is working on having its items on sale in African online stores and envisions to list the brand among the must-have brands in Africa.

This year’s focus is on communication and networking. Some collaboration with Maro Madagascar is also ongoing. Fashion addicts will have to stay patient for one or two more years to see another collection come out. “Creating a new collection takes a lot of time and research”, Samira explains.

Interview by Kenny Raharison

Born and raised in Antananarivo, Madagascar, I came to the United States in December 2004 as an international student.

I had spent the last six months of my stay in Madagascar going to a cybercafé. There, I read and watched videos about American culture and followed the U.S. news. I have always loved English since I was a little girl but never attended an English program. Because of my high proficiency in English and good knowledge of the American culture, I was able to immerse and adjust to life in the U.S by participating in aspects of the American culture, while still holding onto my Malagasy cultural values.

My first night in the U.S. was beautiful. Seated in the back, I was so fascinated by everything I saw: nice cars, bright roads, U.S. flags flying everywhere…We drove by the Key Bridge and I was so mesmerized by the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations in Georgetown. It was a beautiful sight of America that I will never forget. I was badly jetlagged but as soon as I felt better, I told my sister to teach me about the U.S. money and public transportation and she did. It didn’t take me long to find my ways around Maryland, DC and Virginia.

I have encountered many culture shocks but I’m sharing three. Americans love space and privacy. When I got on a metro for the first time, I grinned ear to ear and was ready to chit-chat. Most of them, however, avoided eye contact and looked like they did not want to talk. A few days later, I got myself an iPod and listened to music. On our second date, my then boyfriend, husband now, took me to a baseball game between the NATS vs. Chicago Cubs. I couldn’t follow the game because I was more distracted by people cracking peanut, gnashing on sunflower seeds and talking to themselves. I also remember my first job as a nanny for an American family. They treated me like family. They made sure that there was Malagasy food in their house. They took such a great care of me, and I feel so blessed to have known them. Today, we still are very close. The little boy I once babysat for is now a young man. He is starting college at Columbia University.

The biggest gap between the two cultures I think is the use of time and family. Malagasy people tend to dedicate most of the time with relatives. Americans on the other hand, tend to overwork and have little time to themselves.

I am still learning as an immigrant, but I can say, having a high proficiency in English and a good understanding about American culture gave me access to things and information that others could not easily access. I was able to navigate, solve problems easily and contribute to both societies. I can immerse into American culture without losing my culture or identity. As a matter of fact, I balance and blend in my traditional culture with American culture, that’s why I identify myself as Malagasy American. I am American, but I also still feel very Malagasy. I’m a Malagasy daughter, sister, and friend. I speak Malagasy, eat Malagasy food, I listen to Malagasy music. I teach English to Malagasy students for free on the Facebook platform: Malagasy American. I engage students to be active participants in their own learning. I hold group discussions in English about topics that matter: inclusion & diversity, women’s rights, civic engagement, personal empowerment…I am amazed at how good Malagasy people are at English.

At the same time, I’m a wife to an American man, mom to three beautiful Malagasy American children. I’m a legal secretary at a large international law firm that focuses on corporate and securities, complex litigation, finance and real estate, and financial services and asset management.in DC. I’m a classroom mom at my kids’ school and hold regular play dates and sleepovers at our house. I sing English songs, but I also sing “kalon’ny fahiny” songs. I belong to both worlds and for that I am very grateful. I’m proud to be Malagasy American.

Paul Rabary, sociologist and former Minister of National Education, throws some light on how the FIHAVANANA is lived within the 21^st-century Malagasy society.

How could we picture a traditional community governed by Fihavanana values in the ancient times?

As a first step, let us define what FIHAVANANA is. It is a deliberate and conscious act of making “HAVANA”. “Havana” is assumed to be someone’s kin, or any other person related in some way with them, be it though blood or through marriage. Therefore, Fihavanana is the willingness to accept and to live together in a community where that community takes precedence over the individual. That image sends us back to a proverb: “Velona Iray Trano, Maty Iray Fasana” – which loosely translated means “Alive in the same home, dead in the same tomb”. Then, being excluded from the family vault would be the ultimate curse. That is why Malagasy people live with a constant concern for respect of the rules or “Dina”, the traditions or “Fomba”, and the customary prohibitions or “Fady”. Besides, an individual should ensure not to offend the community before every single act. That is called “Miala tsiny” or asking for forgiveness.

Fihavanana is then an endless search for harmony and consensus with the community, with the ancestors who are believed to intercede with the Creator or “Zanahary”, as well as with the cosmic order governing the unfolding of human lives. This explains how important it is to consult a “Mpanandro” who assesses if an individual or collective project is timely or not.

Was Fihavanana demonstrated in different ways in different regions of Madagascar?

Fihavanana is a common concept to the whole Malagasy society regardless of the regions they live in. According to Madagascar’s settlement history, Malagasy people come from many waves of African, south-eastern Asian, and Arabian immigrations. Fihavanana is therefore one of the keys to understanding the Malagasy culture based on the respect of others and above all on obedience to the community.

What does the 2020’s version of Fihavanana look like?

Modernity, acculturation and poverty have weakened the Fihavanana to say the least. Today, the individual overrides the community. Fihavanana has become a very bandied out term and has been deflected from its intended meaning. Today’s Fihavanana is reduced to practices during family events such as births, circumcisions, baptisms, weddings, burials, etc.

Fihavanana that was once a way to reach out to others finds itself curled up in family or friends. Fihavanana has transitioned from its purpose of “living together” to a mere tool at the service of kins, a mere tool to favor family members, parents, and acquaintances in administrative, professional and/or political actions.

The “consensus” in the original Fihavanana has turned into a “compromise” in its contemporary form. Poverty, culture of mediocrity, intellectual laziness, and unbridled individualism are some of the factors that explain this sectarian drift of Fihavanana.

Can Fihavanana sometimes be considered as a deterrent to freedom or a handicap to development?

Fihavanana is rooted in the Malagasy culture and identity. Thus, it cannot be judged either as a brake or a development for anyone. Moreover, we need to define what freedom and development we are talking about and looking for. Culture evolves, but fundamentals must remain. Otherwise, it loses its value, its points of reference and its identity. Unfortunately, that is what happens today, hence a certain disintegration of morals and, by extension, that of society.

What form of Fihavanana do we need today to restore some social cohesion?

It is not for me to define or enact what should or should not be Fihavanana in the current context. This is neither my pretension nor my role as a sociologist. However, the are misunderstandings of what the Fihavanana was, is, and will be. That is what can be discussed. We cannot achieve social cohesion without putting the will to live together back at the heart of society and without providing meaning to a community of shared values and common immutable good.

What role do our leaders play in the process of restoring social cohesion?

Much remains to be done in this regard. But we must restore simple things that we have forgotten: Respect, Discipline and Goodwill.

This article is also available in the 11th release of "The American" magazine. The full PDF version of magazine is available for download here.

Interview by Kenny Raharison

Happy 61^st anniversary of recovering Independence to all Malagasy and to our beloved Madagascar! May we live our daily lives according to the lyrics of our National Anthem: https://www.hymne-national.com/en/national-anthem-madagascar/.

As an historical reservoir, culture is an important factor in shaping identity. Being a Malagasy citizen living in Namibia for over 15 years, happily married to my German-Namibian husband for over 16 years, being the proud mother of our two boys, we agreed to carry on owning and developing our individual cultural identity. Mine is strongly rooted on Malagasy Culture – Kolontsaina. It is rich, beautiful, colourful, and reflects the inputs of prominent groups migrating to Madagascar centuries ago, especially from Southeast Asia and East Africa. It also includes some influences from Western Asia and Europe.

When Ludwig and I were married for just over a year, we moved to the lovely town of Swakopmund in Namibia, on April 13^th, 2006. We used to reside in Antananarivo, the capital city of Madagascar. This was my second time on Namibian soil, it was the first day of our new life and it promised to be an exhilarating experience. We took over striving businesses and properties his father has built. Ludwig’s family is originally from Germany, his mother’s grandfather settled in Swakopmund in 1896, making him among the 1st Generation Germans settling here and making Ludwig the fourth one. Cross-cultural marriages like ours lead to having multicultural children, hence we welcomed the fifth generation: our two sons. In honour to my origins, we named our boys: Lova (Malagasy for Heritage), and Fanilo (Malagasy for Flame Torch) who is autistic.

"Our boys have a German father and a Malagasy mother, and were born in Namibia. Therefore, they are exposed to three different cultures. We decided to take the best from all three and merged them into one new culture, hence a new identity for them."

Since culture is defined as the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from traditions, language, religion, cuisine, social habits, to music and arts, every new-born inherits a cultural identity which most individuals will keep throughout their life. Cultural identity refers to identification with, or sense of belonging to a particular group based on various cultural categories: nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, and religion. It is constructed and maintained through the process of sharing collective knowledge: traditions, heritage, language, aesthetics, norms, and customs. As individuals typically affiliate with more than one cultural group, cultural identity is complex and multifaceted. In this globalized world with increasing intercultural encounters, cultural identity is constantly enacted, negotiated, maintained, and challenged through communicative practices. The chain of positive and negative effects of Globalization is growing further. What is important to realize is that Globalization itself is neither good nor bad, it just depends on how people deal with all the possibilities in the future. Globalization leads to significant changes on major aspects in most countries: Economics, Politics, Culture, Industry, and Technology.

Professor Mark Lilla – Columbia University – answered the questions from Dubai future foundation: “What will be the impact of globalization on our identity? Will governments be able to foster the same kind of civic duty as they do now?” His answers were: “I believe that our problem of identity up to now has really been multicultural problems, having to do with the confrontations of people from different cultures. What is starting to happen now is new identity politics which is a reaction to the monocultural that has followed on globalization in the sense that certainly people of a certain class no longer belong to where they were born. They float around in the world, they speak different languages, they eat different sorts of food and that is going to be our destiny, certainly the destiny of our children who are growing up. I think it is especially important for governments around the world to think about what kind of glue is going to hold them together after the disappearance of some of the very traditional culture-ties that we have always relied on.”

When I look into my boys’ stunning hazel eyes, I see hope, trust, joy, and endless possibilities. Our children are looking up to us for guidance, we owe it to them now more than ever, as we have had a good share of support from our forefathers. Malagasy Ancestors displayed amazing wisdom passed onto us through our Malagasy language. The meaning of some Malagasy words is mesmerizing. Through those meanings, they passed onto us the deep connection to our Creator which is the base of our belief system and the paradigm we were given. This realization led me to study Malagasy language and make it the glue to hold me, to empower my family, to enhance connections with my compatriots, hence, to preserve our Malagasy Culture. One of my life’s purposes is to restore faith and pride in Malagasy hearts. I believe in us Malagasy; we can unite to make this noble cause ours because we are all connected with the heart and soul. We are a unity thanks to our wonderful culture of “fihavanana” (Brotherhood). Therefore, I invite all Malagasy citizens around the world and in Madagascar to unite and do everything in our power to preserve our Malagasy Culture.

Here are few examples of things I make time for, to preserve my cultural identity: I pray in Malagasy, I speak Malagasy to my kids, I speak to my parents nearly daily, I message/call regularly my Malagasy family members and my friends, I read “Rakibolana” (Dictionary in Malagasy), I listen to Malagasy music, I read stories about Madagascar and about Malagasy then and now, I recite poems and proverbs. Between 2006 and 2021, we visited Madagascar seven times, my parents came on long holidays five times to Namibia and to South Africa with us three times, I joined few groups and associations thanks to social media like: “Autism Madagascar”, “Association Nofy”, “Le Groupe des Mamans Gasy de France et d’ailleurs” (a group of Malagasy Mothers living in France and elsewhere). Since March 2021, I have been an active member of ASSOCIATION NOFY. I volunteer to co-host Facebook live events called “Femme et Engagée” (Women and Involved: women empowering other women). Our guests are Malagasy Diaspora mothers sharing their inspiring journey. I discovered Hanta Ramakavelo’s Facebook page and her outstanding work on Mentorship and Coaching. Hanta has been offering publicly free mentorship sessions called: “Teny Malagasy Iainana” (Live Malagasy Language) via Zoom video conference, every Sunday since June 2020. I attended most sessions since March and since end May 2021, I volunteer to co-host Mentorship LIVE EVENTS with Hanta Ramakavelo every Sunday. As a result, I continue to live my life with gratitude; I start my days infused with more faith, hope, and love. I feel even more energized to teach our boys the foundation of Malagasy Culture and to live according to our Malagasy Anthem. I am constantly in student mode, striving to be authentic, not perfect.

"Malagasy language is uniquely beautiful and helps us live a meaningful life, wherever we are."

Words are powerful, they communicate images that are clear in our reasoning and imagination. Words also convey our emotions, motivations, and decisions. Words define and formulate our beliefs, values and what makes us unique. We cannot guess or assume what the other person is thinking or feeling; it is necessary to bring out what is inside through words, pictures or agreed signs. This is the case of communication with deaf, mute, or autistic friends. We all have a precious inner garden. Our being consists of a mind, a heart, and a soul. Words are seeds to be cultivated in this garden. From there, thoughts, interests, desires, projects, convictions, values, principles, characteristics of our personal culture blossom. It is the very source of our life. We are programmed, formatted, moulded by the words that build our lives, self-talks, and words we receive from the outer world. This is what neuro-linguistic programming is all about.

Words have the power to shape us, it is up to us to select them according to what we wish to harvest. What fills us radiates and flows out of us. It is indeed from the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. What we cultivate becomes our characters; our skills and our abilities are forged by what we share. When we show care and favour to our inner garden, it is guaranteed that we will adopt the same attitude for our country and for our planet Earth, this precious big garden which allows us to live together. Considering the actual position occupied by Madagascar because of poverty, it is obvious that poverty of mind is the source of it all. We have not respected the true priorities by nurturing our inner garden first. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela. We can change; the key is in our hands, let us change our lives and we will improve our country’s history.

This article is also available in the 11th release of "The American" magazine. The full PDF version of magazine is available for download here.