Despite a decline in much of the early 20th century, the beginning of the new millennium finds both resiliency and revival in the production of handwoven cloth. Today, although nearly all Malagasy choose to dress in factory-made cloth of Western tailoring, woven textiles remain important gifts from the living to revered ancestors. Revival of royal textile patterns and a flourishing contemporary fashion scene incorporating handwoven shoulder wraps and tailored clothing ensure the continued importance of Madagascar's textile arts.

Madagascar's weft-design textiles known as akotofahana-- largely abandoned by the late 19th century--underwent a transformation among Malagasy weavers in the 20th century. Formerly associated with nobles, these cloths became a standard form of female attire in the form of shoulder wraps. Instead of the bright colors of the past, women preferred a more subdued white wrap embellished with new, mostly floral motifs such as roses and grapevines.

Today, highland women are showing a renewed interest in the striking color combinations and historic motifs of the past. Decorative bands of geometric and floral weft-float patterns embellish the cloths, illustrating the technical expertise of the weaver. The cloths are increasingly popular export items sold in boutiques in Europe and the United States.

Madagascar's stunning akotofahana cloths--prized by Europeans in the 19th century as the sparkling jewels of Malagasy textile arts--enjoyed a revitalization in the 1990s. A British art historian, Simon Peers, combined forces with a group of Merina weavers who shared his respect for this historic art form. Together they created the weaving workshop now known as Lamba SARL. The group researched and recreated many 19th-century akotofahana patterns found in the collections of the Queen's Palace of Antananarivo (destroyed by fire in 1995) and the British Museum in London.