Handmade in Haiti
Our Mission:
Improve and Empower lives.
Provide jobs for WOMEN in Haiti.
Create a line of chic, comfortable beach and lounge wear by starting a small clothing workshop with the ambition to get bigger.
Recruit women with basic knowledge in sewing.
Provide training in different aspects of the project: Cutting patterns, sewing, operate different sewing machines, embroidery and eventually diversify with beading and silkscreen.
Use eco friendly and recycled paper and fabric products to promote sustainability.
Capitalize on the use of hand embroidery to both preserve an old and fading tradition, and reduce our carbon footprint.
Giving women, who are the pillars of the Haitian community, the opportunity to better their economic situation will improve the quality of life for the whole family.
A portion of all SIMBI sales is donated to project:
"Giving access to clean water in Haiti"
Simbi - Haiti
About Us:
Lori Manuel Steed and Birgit Grossmann met almost 15 years ago; they developed a friendship based on family and their shared love of art. They began their business partnership 12 years ago by creating an online Gallery, Artmediahaiti.com. Today, after years of experience working together and following the catastrophic earthquake of 2010 that left so many survivors in dire straits, Birgit and Lori knew it was time to change the course of their entrepreneurial adventure. Joining their respective areas of expertise, Lori and Birgit founded the company SIMBI inc.
SIMBI Inc. currently includes a clothing line; Simbi, and a hair accessory line, Simbi hair-bracelet.
“Simbi hair-bracelet”. The bracelet is a great fashion accessory. You can wear it on your wrist, or tie up your hair. It won't bend, break, rip, or crease your hair. Each bracelet sold keeps Haitians employed and helps raise money to install water filtration systems throughout the country. Each bracelet sold purifies 1 gallon of water/day. Clean water is our answer to save lives, improve lives, and empower lives and will hopefully eradicate the cholera outbreak that surfaced in Haiti 2 years ago. Please visit us at www.simbihaiti.com and follow our progress.
“Simbi’s first apparel collection, DIMANCHE MATIN, Translation: Sunday morning, was inspired by the song “Easy like sunday morning“ and is intended to make the consumer feel comfortable in the clothes by using high quality linen and lightweight cotton. The DIMANCHE MATIN collection is for adults of all ages who want to enjoy wearing an elegant yet well-crafted piece of clothing to lounge at home, on the beach, or on a hot summer day grilling in their back yard.
The embroidery for the DIMANCHE MATIN collection is hand made in a village called “La Vallée de Jacmel” which lies
near the southern coastal town of Jacmel. Over 100 years ago a congregation of catholic nuns from Belgium introduced embroidery to the community. Today it is embedded as a proud tradition that is being passed from generation to generation.Lori’s grandmother who was from Jacmel introduced Lori to the embroidery of “La Vallée”. Together Lori and Birgit vowed to help that high quality craft survive and be recognized beyond borders.
The Simbi DM collection is conceived, designed, cut, sewn, and proudly handcrafted in Haiti in an effort to bring jobs, and improve and empower lives of the women of Haiti.
Birgit Grossmann Coles, co-owner of Simbi Inc.
Birgit is married to a Haitian and has lived in Haiti for the last 17 years where she raises her family. She holds a degree in International Business. An American with German heritage this mother of three has embraced Haiti and it’s culture. She has been a dedicated admirer of Haitian art and has help promote it locally and internationally.
"I witnessed firsthand the destruction, devastation and despair caused by the earthquake in 2010, and saw a way to help through manufacturing and charity."
Lori Manuel Steed, co-owner of Simbi Inc.
Lori was born and raised in Haiti where she still resides with her family. At a young age she developed a passion for fashion inspired by her talented grandmother who created perfectly made clothes using all sorts of Haitian arts and crafts with a contemporary sense of style. A trained graphic artist, Lori is also a Haitian art promoter who has organized numerous exhibits in Haiti and abroad.
“After the earthquake of January 2010 that devastated Haiti I want to put my experienced background to help empower Haitian women socially and economically by promoting high quality craft like, sewing, embroidery, beadings and silkscreen”.
| Tweets by @simbihaiti |
| info@simbihaiti.com | |
| Address | Petion-Ville, Port-au-Prince |
| Phone | 509 2813-1192 ,1 888 755-6964 (USA), |
| Fax |
