Products in woven vacoa - Ti brin nature

Adresse du bénéficiaire

52 RN2
Basse-Vallée
97442 SAINT-PHILIPPE
Réunion

Lauriane Leichnig - Ti Brin Nature-2 © Marine Dijoux - Parc national de La Réunion

Réunion Island National Park

On the heights of Baril in Saint Philippe, Lauriane offers a range of handmade creations made from plant fibers. While you're in the south of the island, don't hesitate to stop by her store "Ti Brin Nature" to discover her vacoa objects and the behind-the-scenes aspects of this nature-friendly craft.

Vacoa leaves hold no secrets for Lauriane, who a few years ago turned to the craft of braiding, transforming them into hats, baskets and bertels. It's a way for this enthusiast to showcase a know-how handed down from generation to generation in Réunion Island. "I'm originally from Saint Philippe, my mom taught me to braid, my aunts still braid today, my grandmothers also braided, so in the end, it's a source of pride that it's staying in the family and keeping that know-how alive [in La Réunion]." (Lauriane Leichnig)

Lauriane uses ancestral techniques, but also infuses her own touch of creativity and ingenuity into each of her works. Her skilful hands give life to unique objects, delicate baskets, refined braids... These creations are made from vacoa(Pandanus utilis), which she grows at home without the use of chemicals, alongside plant species typical of the south of the island, such as palm kernels and vanilla.

By controlling the manufacturing process of her raw material, this braider ensures that the product she offers is totally eco-responsible and a testament to heritage and traditional know-how. A commitment she passes on in these introductory vacoa braiding workshops, to Reunion islanders and holidaymakers keen to learn a little more about this traditional craft.

In order to limit her environmental impact, Laurianne offers handcrafted objects made from natural, local materials, which she grows directly at home. She uses low-energy manufacturing processes to make objects that she sells directly to consumers, in her boutique or at local markets.

Products are available on her website: https://www.tibrinnature.com/boutique

Prices

Health booklet cover: 30€ (in French)
Set of 3 baskets, turned upside down: €35
Lontan tent: €40
Sapotier bag: €40
Beach bag: €50 to €60
Table set: €60

À la rencontre de...

In Saint-Philippe, on the heights of Le Baril, Lauriane perpetuates a typically Reunionese craft: vacoa weaving. In her Ti Brin Nature boutique, she offers handmade creations - bertels, vannes, baskets, tents - made from the leaves of this emblematic tree of Reunion's coastline. Grown without chemicals, the leaves are dried, cut into strands and woven using traditional techniques. Some of these products are now stamped "Esprit parc national" Esprit parc nationalin recognition of their link to the region and their environmentally-friendly production.

I'm a farmer as well as a craftswoman. I'm passionate about working with vacoa fiber. Vacoa has long been found on Réunion Island, often on the coast. We have a lot of it in Saint-Philippe in the south. It's a tree that can grow to around 10 m in height. We dry the leaves and then I use them to make vacoa creations.

In my business, I have certain products that are stamped Esprit Parc National. These are traditional objects, i.e. "bertels", the country backpack, "tents" for going to the fairground market, shopping or going to the beach, "vannes" too, a traditional object that was once used to sort rice, lentils, brede...and even today it's an object that's found a lot among the Reunionnese.

The use of vacoa on Reunion Island, the weaving of its leaves, goes back a very long way. In the past, it was used to transport spices, and later to build roofs. In fact, in my family, my grandmothers and my mother worked with vacoa, so it's a tradition that's been passed down.