FOUNDERS






Almaï was born of two lands intertwined.


Alexandra grew up between France, the land of her father, and Colombia, the land of her mother. Two countries she always sought to bind together and embrace. As she grew older, she realized that the earth and it’s fruits could be that link. On one hand, the Provençal scrubland of her childhood and the plants her grandfather lovingly tended over. Laurel, lavender, thyme, rosemary… On the other, the fertile lands of the Caribbean, the lush tobacco fields where her grandfather spent his childhood, and the fruit trees and flowers that her mother and grandmother adored. Traveling through Colombia, Alexandra met artisans that shared her desire to showcase the infinite riches offered by this fertile land. Since then, she has felt compelled to support their work, to help them preserve their traditions and to tell their story.





has just begun…


dans toute la Colombie. Très tôt, l’idée d’appuyer leur travail, de les aider à préserver ces traditions et de le faire connaître a commencé à germer.




 






 

Mairet grew up in the Carribean. Raised in Cartagena but born up the coast in her father’s hometown of Santa Marta, nestled at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. As a girl she returned there often, searching for traces of her father, who left this world abruptly when she was very young. She was left with only clues as to her Inidigenous and African origins, but instinctively she was drawn to the story of the Kogui People, the original guardians of these majestic lands.  She is particularly fond of their mochila, a hand-woven bag, their clothing, and their jewelry, which she never leaves home without. Years later she studied fashion in Argentina and lived for a time in France. As a keen observer of the frenzied consumption patterns in our modern world, she began to seek ways of finding clothing and accessories she could feel good about.  Mairet reflects often on Santa Marta, her time there and the mysteries that still lie dormant in it’s beaches and snow-capped mountains.








These collective experiences of discovery are what have brought Alexandra and Mairet closer. From tropical patios to Parisian bistros, from heated conversations to shared imaginations, a friendship was born along with a project, crafted from a common vision and philosophy. To cherish and respect living things, to protect the wisdom of those who came before us, and to seek out new ideas while being part of an ancestral tradition. Alexandra and Mairet dream of forging a link between little-known artisan communities and those for whom disposable, repetitive products are no longer attractive.


Behind each of our products hides the plants, lands, and expressions of centuries; a face, a lineage, a thousand ancient artforms. From two names woven together, two dreams tied in a bow, from the joyous explorations of our world, Almaï was born. The adventure










C’est l’histoire d’une palme, la feuille du palmier. Ou plutôt, d’une quantité innombrable de palmes. Celle aussi d’un pays et de ceux qui y vivent. Ou comment les femmes et les hommes d’un des territoires les plus riches au monde ont tissé leur vie autour de ces feuilles tropicales emblématiques.



Almaï propose des pièces traditionnelles uniques fabriquées par des communautés colombiennes, à partir d’un matériau bien particulier : les fibres de palme.

A chaque pièce, sa plante, le savoir-faire qui y est attaché, et l’histoire des familles qui ont su le préserver.




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