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Lambany, my project, my creative workshop

Why choosing the name "Lambany" ?

Originally from Madagascar, I grew up in the small town at the northern tip: Antsiranana, also known as Diego-Suarez.

I chose “Lambany” as my creative brand name to make a direct reference to my roots. In Malagasy, “lamba” is the key piece of traditional costume. By extension, the word has become a generic term for clothing, fabric, and even cloth. Adding the suffix “ny,” which indicates possession, transforms it into “one’s garment” or “one’s fabric.”

Ramena Beach, Diego-Suarez (2017)
My first workshop in Montpellier, France (2018)

A passion that hasn't always been obvious

My first contact with sewing came during my middle school years: one summer, my mother decided to enroll me in a sewing course so that I could become independent and sew my own school blouse as well as my brother’s (the result was mixed; he still remembers it!). In Madagascar, all students wear a blouse, with each school defined by a specific blouse color. I experienced this initial introduction to sewing as an obligation… At that time, I never would have believed it would become a passion. But the seed was sown…

Go for it if it tickles your fancy!

Since then, I would occasionally sew for myself: a skirt, a little top… Nothing ever very serious, but I felt a deep enjoyment in handling fabrics and creating with my hands.

One beautiful morning, I woke up with an intense desire: to buy MY first sewing machine! Naturally, I turned to my sister of the heart, Nanou Payet, who immediately took me to her favorite seller.

From that moment on, nothing could stop me. I cut, experimented, sewed, failed… and sometimes succeeded in creating original textile pieces.

 

Ma première machine à coudre
On the tramway in Marseille with my new sewing machine (2015)
Atelier de couture de Luc au Burkina
Luc's workshop, Bobo-Dioulasso (2019)

It’s by sewing that one becomes a seamstress.

Everything came to fruition when I arrived in Burkina Faso in 2016. I did a three-month internship immersed in a tailor’s workshop—a very enriching experience in this predominantly male environment—that helped me gain confidence and dare to sew for others. As a self-taught individual, it’s never easy to feel legitimate.

After discovering wax fabrics and with the support of those around me, I found myself far from my homeland and my academic background, but drawn to this growing passion that was destined to become my profession!