Madagascan Silk
I wouldn't call this a daydream, just something I found quite fascinating if not a little weird...

If the thought of hundreds of spiders crawling about creeps you out, what more wearing a garment spun from their silk. I came across several web articles trending the very thing a few days back but paid them no mind beyond a quick note of the headlines until, by coincidence a search for 'Madagascan Silk' brought them up again causing me to read on in depth. The week of Monday 23rd January saw a cape hand woven from the silk of more than a million spiders go on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, along with a four metre long piece of woven brocaded fabric. 

When I look at the garment I am amazed at how heavy it looks given how fine spider webs are in general. It took around eight years to develop and construct the items which are made from the silk of 1.2 million female Golden Orb Weaver Spiders, a species native to the mountains Madagascar. The golden yellow colour comes from the natural colour of the silk itself, and a closer look at the intricate embroidery detailing reveals images of the spiders. The fabrics were made by artist Simon Peers, an Englishman living in Madagascar and fashion designer Nicholas Godley, an American who also lives on the island. The technique of extracting the silk used a revived process dating back more than a century ago, and is one that sees the spiders being collected from their webs every morning by trained handlers, who then use a hand powered machine to extract the silk from them by pulling the strands of the spiders multiple spinnerets; that's got to be fiddly if not painful, however the spiders are said to be returned to the wild at the end of each day unharmed. The items are the only known large textiles to be made of spider silk, the last known attempts to weave with spider silk were in 1900 for a Parisian exhibition, but no samples remain. First exhibited in 2009 at the Natural History Museum in New York, where it broke visitor number records for a single exhibit, the Cape is now on display in the V&A's Studio Gallery until 5 June 2012.

...fascinating...

Prestat/Esoko
You'd have thought I'd have had my fill of chocolate over Christmas, and given I'm still making my way through the leftovers I now have my eye on some chocolate buttons, a particular favourite, I do like the way they melt in your mouth one drop at a time...makes them a very moreish treat. The targets currently in mind are some Single Origin Chocolate Buttons from Prestat, the quintessential London-based chocolatier whose confections I came across when I took a detour through Liberty of London's Chocolate Shop, in search of a gift. The cocoa used to make the buttons comes from; Madagascar, Ecuador and São Tomé. I knew that São Tomé is situated off the West African coast, but I did not know that the country produces cocoa, and the tiny volcanic island is said to produce some of the world's finest cocoa, which makes these buttons a treat and gorgeous packaging adds to the offering. Prestat's branding is luxurious yet fun; and sees quirky and colourful packaging and shop outfittings in a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory sort of way, calling to mind the eccentricity of Willy Wonka, whose creator, children's author Roald Dahl was said to favour Prestat Truffles. With a shop in London's Piccadilly, Prestat has a heritage dating back over 100 years when founder Frenchman, Antoine Dufour saw a gap in the market to bring the skill of making quality chocolates to London and became an instant success. Today the business is owned by half brothers Nick Crean and Bill Keeling who are carrying on the tradition with the help of a team of talented chocolatiers. Prestat chocolates are handcrafted, filled and wrapped in the same place to ensure that a high level of quality is achieved each and every time, and for over the 35 years Prestat has had a Royal Warrant as purveyors of chocolate to the Queen. A Royal Warrant is a mark awarded in recognition of service, quality of produce and outstanding value. 

Relating to the cocoa the company uses, Prestat is invested in fair trade initiatives and has been working with  Esoko, a pioneering Ghanian entrepreneurial IT company, on a system which can complement the strengths and overcome the weaknesses of the Fair Trade system. Esoko developed a powerful set of web and SMS tools designed to help farmers, governments and other business sectors track accurate prices for their produce and services during sale negotiations, and relies on the increasing availability of mobile technology throughout the African continent to help make international markets more transparent and efficient. The biggest drawback to the system is that farmers need the phones and network access to be able to use it, however this is something Esoko and Prestat are helping to provide with the assistance of various organisations and currently sees 1000 farmers being sponsored in the initial stages. It is an ambitious programme, one that could bring great benefits not only to local farmers, but to . If interested in finding out more do read the full explanation on Prestat's website and visit Esoko's website directly.

Madécasse
Pink pepper and citrus, exotic pepper, and sea salt and nibs are just some of the rather interesting flavour combinations you will find in a Madécasse chocolate bar. Recently named ‘one of the world’s 50 most innovative companies’ by Fast Company magazine, Madécasse is on a mission to revolutionise Africa’s chocolate industry by becoming one of the few fine chocolate companies to produce a bar that is not only grown in Africa, but is also produced in Africa. The stats on the website highlight the fact that although Africa produces 70% of the world’s cocoa, actual chocolate production amounts to less than 1%. Made in Madagascar, Madécasse is luxury gourmet chocolate from a single source and available in a range of chocolate and cooking chocolate bars. I think the packaging is beautiful, a clean and elegant blend of subtlety contrasted with a colourful strip that not only identifies the type/flavour, but also serves to help them stand out on the shelf.

The founders of Madécasse; Brett, Tim and Joe spent over ten years living and working on the island as Peace Corps volunteers, eventually setting up the business there in 2008. Madagascar is said to produce some of the best cocoa in the world; a factor that can be attributed to the soil it grows in and the result is a bean with a unique and fruity flavour. Madécasse's chocolate products made fresh at the source of where the cocoa is grown; partnering with the farmers of the Ezaka Cooperative, which situated in a remote corner of the island, the cocoa bean pods are cultivated by hand and then sent to a factory in Antananarivo where, led by self-taught chocolatier, Shahin Cassam Chenai the chocolate bars are made by a local team who have perfected the roast that gives Madécasse its taste.

Madagascan vanilla is said to be the best in the world, grown in organic, fertile soils and Madécasse also produces a high quality range of natural; vanilla bean powders, sugars and extracts for all your baking and cooking needs.

…a very tempting chocolate bar that stays true to the source

Mar Y Sol
Formerly Mad Imports, Mar Y Sol’s stylish bags and clutches bring a smile to my face ticking all the right boxes from mouth-watering colour combinations such as apple, mango, berry and punch to cute unashamedly girly styles that invoke images of summer; making them perfect for leisurely days strolling around town, lunch with the girls… actually any occasion that demands a burst of colour to brighten things up. I was hard-pressed to choose which ones to display, so cast your eyes on these and visit Mar Y Sol’s website for the full collection.

A socially and environmentally responsible company Mar Y Sol is a collaboration between artists in New York and artisans in Madagascar, and now Kenya and state that they blend traditional techniques such as hand-embroidery, weaving and crochet with singular style. All bags are handmade using sustainable materials like dyed raffia and jute. 

Additional Details: 
Price range from $15-$98
For further information and to purchase visit: www.madimports.org