CLERGERIE AND RAFFIA
RAFFIA, A HISTORY, A CRAFT
The raffia shoes
Our raffia shoes are made from raffia farinifera. Raffia farinifera is a natural fiber derived from palm leaves natives to Madagascar. Raffia is not only a lasting material, but it is also a very flexible one. Used for centuries for other purposes, such as bags, belts and other accessories, raffia has experienced a new rise over the last few years. The weaving of raffia is a traditional Moroccan skill that has been passed down from generation to generation. It often takes more than a day to make raffia shoes.
The origin of raffia at Clergerie
During a trip to Vietnam Robert Clergerie, saw women weaving straw in the street, hats, soles... This immediately reminds him of the braided straw archived designs of Maison Clergerie that are preciously saved in Romans-sur-Isère, France. Today, only the perfect knowledge of raw materials combined with the mastery of our craftsmen can give birth to a Clergerie raffia shoe.
Raffia in every collection
Clergerie celebrates raffia know-how through original, timeless and comfortable raffia shoes. These styles perfectly combine raffia's lightness and softness, it is the ideal material to wear barefoot in summer.
Clergerie x Chufy
In 2021, Clergerie collaborated with Chufy. We worked hand in hand to enrich our iconic raffia collection with four new exclusive designs. The goal was to sublimate raffia, Clergerie's emblematic material.
New raffia shoes were designed in collaboration with Chufy, Sofia Sanchez de Betak, herself, and were adorned with beautiful prints.
Loyal to the tradition, each raffia shoes from the capsule were made in Romans-sur-Isère in the South of France.
Gabriela Hearst x Clergerie
In 2022, the Gabriela Hearst x Clergerie collaboration was introduced during New York’s Fashion Week. The collection is a subtile combination between creativity, know-how and natural materials. Raffia is definitely at its center.
The collection, true to the DNA of both Maisons, is composed of iconic designs reinterpreted in wood and hand-woven raffia, two materials that represent perfectly the Maison Clergerie. Gabriela Hearst adds cork, a material emblematic of her creation and with a low environmental impact to this collection.
The combination of these natural elements is the essence of this capsule collection.
Our know-how with raffia
Our raffia shoes and bags are hand-woven and assembled from a natural fiber following an age-old technique coming from the weavers of the Atlas Mountains, making each pair unique. Maison Clergerie is proud to work with the best craftsmen that respect and preserve the traditional know-how of this technique.
For 40 years, men and women have been the guardians of the Maison's know-how, in order to create the highest quality raffia shoes and bags.