« Ideas are like lotus seeds, sleeping only to grow better » (Fatou Diome)

Samatoa’s founder

Awen Delaval, a Frenchman at the heart of a fair-trade promotion association, was exposed to (and toughened by) the poverty in Cambodia during a trip to Asia. He had the idea of developing natural textiles and bringing it back to life in Cambodia. Seduced by the teaching of the Lotus Sutra he created an itinerary in the same humanist vein.

In 2009, he was introduced to the art of robes made from lotus fibers worn by Burmese monks during an annual celebration. As a designer of ecofriendly textile, he pursued this craft, setting up a laboratory at his Siem Reap home in search of the perfect lotus to create the unique fabric.

Setting his eyes on a spectacular 15-hectare lotus lake at Kamping Poy (near Battambang), Awen knew he had found his nirvana.

Awen Delaval

French President Francois Hollande

.Based in the city of Angkor, Samatoa’s founder Awen Delaval is surrounded by historic spirituality.

The lotus appears as the cornerstone of his project, offering symbolism, nobility of soul, beauty, and purity.

What new symbol can we find, with its millions of fibers, living in lakes and rivers?

Once worn by Buddhist monks, it’s now seducing high fashion’s biggest names.