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Discover
CONCEPT
SICA’s key motive is to empower communities through design.
The upcycling design label from fair production utilizes textile waste while preserving traditional crafts.
Celebrating and combining cultures, SICA’s objects express social and environmental awareness within their rich narratives.
TIMELESS AESTHETIC
Creating clothing, accessories and homeware, which focus on the quality and wearable nature to increase the products longevity.
SOCIAL INITIATIVES
SICA develops feel good products. By maintaining a close relationship with every manufacturer partner, ensuring fair working standards and respect for everyone involved.
UP-CYCLING
That means to use and optimize the textile waste generated from the fashion industry to create unique pieces. re-purposing pre and post-consumer waste: end rolls and discarded faulty fabrics, second-hand & vintage goods.
The label SICA found its feet in 2006 in Curitiba, Brazil. Creating unique clothing and accessories from the vibrant textile waste from local factories in South Brazil. Emerging from selling SICA products on a Sunday market, to owning its own concept store. At this time SICA provided a platform to not only sell its own creations but to provide opportunities and partnership for fellow makers, artists and seamstresses.
In 2013 SICA expanded into Berlin with the line ‘Proudly made in Bangladesh’. SICA Proudly made in Bangladesh outsources textile clipping-waste from the Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry (RMG) and brings them into the hands of the skilled craftswomen in rural Rangpur, Northern Bangladesh. It has been vital for Simone Simonato the founder of SICA, to spend a lot of time in Bangladesh, nurturing the relationship with the makers and local organizations. Personally researching and living within these communities, Simone explores with the artisans to help develop their skills while providing fair employment and support.
The role in Berlin is not only to give visibility to Bangladeshi crafts, but also to connect and collaborate with it’s thriving sustainable design community.
SICA continues to work as an initiator, acting locally and thinking globally providing positive solutions in the fashion industry.
Process
Making the gap between maker and wearer smaller.
SICA understands that it is within the early stages of design of a product, where the most important decisions are made, which further impact and influence others and the environment down the line.
A SOLUTION THROUGH TRADITIONAL CRAFTS +
Proudly made in Bangladesh
One of the most overpopulated countries in the world, with almost the same population as Brazil yet they are 59 times smaller. Bangladesh is home to over 5000 textile factories and is the second largest global exporter of garments after China. Yet today it still struggles to implement and maintain environmental and social standards within its industry. The importance of the industry is clear as it employs more than 5 million people and is a large contributor towards the country’s economy. Accounting for more than 80 percent of Bangladesh’s global exports. Since the 70’s the ready-made garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh has specialized in knitting manufacturing. From sweaters to underwear, knit fabrics are present in our every-day lives. These jersey and knit textiles are common highlights of fast fashion because they are quick to sell and produce. Production on this scale and speed produces enormous amounts of textile waste. Around 8% of garment production turns out to be waste. Some of the largest factories in Bangladesh can produce around 1.5 tons of waste daily. SICA Proudly made in Bangladesh line transforms this waste into new meaningful products, while helping support the communities that make them. Partnered with Consultancy Service International (CSI), one of the major players towards sustainability and social compliance based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. CSI developed ‘Village Produced’, is a social initiative that is key to SICA. Providing craftspeople in poor decentralized areas in Bangladesh the support needed within their communities by raising employment, manufacturing skills and working standards. The artisans skilled craftsmanship combined with SICA’s design thinking produce vibrant products from quality manufacture. SICA holds a strong connection with the team in Bangladesh through the ‘Clipping Up’ project and continues to celebrate their partnership. Proudly made in Bangladesh is inspired by the people who became involved with the project, the vibrancy of Bangladeshi culture and the Art and individuality of each weave created. Honouring the the craft the time and the process, through functional everyday design.
COLLAB
SICA brings up-cycling ideas to life in order to contribute towards a sustainable future. We are open to take part of a new projects. If you have any interest of working with us, please contact us through collab@sica-up.com. 2020 – T•YARN Berlin collaboration with the textile designer Tauberry Rocio Pibernat. 2019 – DANCING SPACES Bags on commission to Dancing Spaces cleaning module. 2018 – SICA & LAMALVE The cushion cover SICA & LAMALVE capsule collection aims to strengthen connection between women entrepreneur, by supporting one another and their communities. LAMALVE is an association built to support female entrepreneurship: „LAMALVE means many women such as weavers, embroiders and textile artist, all of them decided to immortalise our ancestors techniques and cosmogonies as well as create true art pieces.“ 2016 – Cozy Dunes Up-cycled cushion line development ethically made for Cozy Dunes label. 2015 – Karma Free Yoga Belt Karma Free Belt for prop collection to be used on Yoga practice. 2013 – 2015 SICA to Water To Wine Water to Wine is a a cooperation between the Berliner Stadtmission (BS) and designers to sell different ‘transformation-wonders’. Berliner Stadtmission gets tons of donated clothing weekly. One part of the donation goes to people in need. Another part is sold in seven second hand shops of Berliner Stadtmission. The proceeds are used for the social projects of BS. And now there are still some clothes left. Before those leftovers are recycled, they will be up-cycled. There starts the cooperation between Berliner Stadtmission and more and more up-cycling designers. http://www.berliner-stadtmission.de/water-to-wine
