image d'introduction

An adventure animated

by the safeguard of the intangible

cultural heritage of humanity

Who are we?

Discover our history.

Origins: A revelation in Nepal

— 2008

Ali Rakib, founder of FORWEAVERS, confirmed his vocation for safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of humanity during his trip to Nepal

“It was in Nepal, and I was 26 years old. I climbed Annapurna on my own to the last base camp, without a guide or porter. And the higher I climbed, the fewer tourists there were, and the more people were independent. I saw four generations of women weaving, living, and laughing together, passing on knowledge from generation to generation. Beyond this textile, it is the language that was preserved in this way in this village, the dances, the ancestral use of the clothes that they wove ... We could save a village and its culture by ensuring this creation. "

— Ali Rakib

— 2016

“My goal is to provide solutions to communities and thereby make them autonomous. In fact, textiles are just a pretext. "

— Ali Rakib

FORWEAVERS acts as a link between the brands and artisans of the world in order to allow the holders of know-how to make a decent living from their craftsmanship and to improve their living conditions and projection into the future.

In eight years, Ali Rakib has sourced materials and fabrics made using vernacular techniques in 35 countries, all fairly in terms of working conditions for artisans and respect for the environment.

In 2016, he worked with 15 researchers to rethink the implementation of the World Heritage convention at the Musée de l'Homme (IUCN-International Union for the Conservation of Nature) in order to alert the collective to the possibility of 'an “ecological colonialism” based on a single spectrum of Western vision. This questioning would enlight our decision-making for the entire planet and its inhabitants from diverse cultures.

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From sourcing to consulting in anthropology

— 2017

FORWEAVERS, previously the Tashkent association, in March 2017 became the expert company in sourcing rare goods from around thirty countries - rare silks from Assam to wools from Nepal, cashmere from Mongolia to vicuña wool from Peru, through to fibers from plants, such as lotus, banana tree, hemp, jute.

Out of passion, Ali Rakib is self-taught in ethnology through his trips to meet the indigenous peoples of the world, observations and field studies, readings, and participation in conferences of great experts such as Maurice Godelier and Philippe Descola.

The work of safeguarding intangible heritage has led him to specialize in all the themes that touch on sustainable development, specifically those related to working conditions, the position of women or the impact on the environment.

He therefore specialized himself in economic anthropology of actors in the production and supply chains with a view to validating a university doctorate. Today, he has built up an expertise that allows him to expand his activity into consulting.

Who are we?

Meet the team

Ali Rakib, lover and ardent defender of the pluralities of peoples

Born in a world made of fifteen different nationalities, the understanding and love of foreign culture was immediate and natural for Ali. School, on the other hand, gave him his passion for history and architecture and feudal heritage of France. His way of thinking was built on his Bedouin culture from the arid regions of the southern Moroccan Atlas. With its very little material to collect, the intangible heritage achieves all its magic there.

“It is this alchemy that I wanted to transmit to the peoples of the world, hoping to see them give back preciousness to their habits and customs, often neglected in favour of mass consumption products that destroy cultural singularities and the beauties of this world. ”

— Ali Rakib

The compendium of all his experiences leads Ali Rakib to the profession he has created for himself, namely to serve as a "bridge" between French companies and their stakeholders abroad. Whether it is through the sourcing of organic materials (natural textiles, wood, leather, etc.) or the interpretation of the habits and customs of the world, he explains and trains his clients in praxeology, this science of symbols inscribed in each object, for a more sustainable production, and a more liveable world.

After creating FORWEAVERS in 2017, Ali Rakib quickly became the official supplier of the LVMH material library, consultant for UNESCO, Anthropologist for Chanel, Researcher for the Ministry of Culture, he always reserves time for conferences at Science-Po, Centrale St-Martin school, IFM, and to teach Cultural Engineering at IESA and CASA93 schools. He is a member of the board of directors of UN Women France, and applies to the Société des Explorateurs Français.

image de l'équipe forweavers

Ali RAKIB

Founder, researcher in cultural and social anthropology

Camille LORRAIN

Business Developer & Project Manager

Brenda SECK

Researcher in human sciences

Belen LE FOYER DE COSTIL

Business Developer & Project Manager

Supplemented by the expertise of:

Daniela FETZNER

Material supervisor

Marie-Christine SKVORC

CSR Auditor