Founder Marie Besson was raised in Mauritius, a tropical island nestled to the east of Madagascar.

"At home in Mauritius, my mother would go to her favourite local craftspeople, the metalworker, the weaver or the dressmaker when she needed something personal made or to give new life to our home’s furnishing. I love that in the Mascarene Islands you can still find little, local handiwork and my wish is for these skills to be never lost. Little known makers are part of our story, as a land and culture - past, present and future. The Malagasy people have ancient abilities and potential, yet are not known to the world. This is why Little Known Makers came to the fore, with the intention to showcase the lesser known craftspeople and their handiwork to the world.”

Little Known Makers was created with the vision to fill homes with sustainably crafted collections that honour both the hands that made, and the land that gave. 

Working with Little Known Makers, Marie draws her inspiration from the beauty of the surrounding nature, the people and the materials the local environment provides. This can be reflected in collections of plant based material designs, natural dyes, slow made handiwork and sustainable, local sourcing.

To honour the crafts man and woman is a key value for the Little Known way of doing business. In collaborating with artisanal makers from Madagascar and beyond, Little Known Makers is an advocate for and a contributor to creating sustainable livelihoods for the craftspeople and their families.