Schmid and the cooperative Alice together for charity

A collection with material provided by Schmid was presented on 12th October

After the expericence of Made in Carcere (Made in Prison), Schmid continues to help inmates and former inmates who have taken up tailoring. This time the company is working side by side with the Milanese cooperative Cooperativa sociale Alice, with whom it has recently formed a partnership that is starting to bear its first, encouraging, results.

Cooperativa sociale Alice: projects for inmates and ex-inmates

Cooperativa sociale Alice saw the light more than 25 years ago, within the Milanese prison Casa Circondariale San Vittore, with the aim of providing jobs to female and male inmates through tailoring classes. On top of having created Sartoria Sanvittore, a fashion brand stemming from the initiative in the Milanese prison, the cooperative, manages a workshop in the prison of Bollate

(Casa di Reclusione di Bollate) and another one outside prison walls for people benefitting from alternative measures to detention or inmates ending their prison terms. The collections, made using skilled tailoring techniques under the supervision of a designer (Rosita Onofri), are carefully manufactured and of high quality.

The new collection made with Schmid materials

Schmid is proud to be part of a project offering a second chance to former inmates. Indeed, work enables them to stay out of prison. Data shows that 80% of former inmates that have been reinserted into the labour market do not return in prison.

Schmid donated to Cooperativa sociale Alice a first stock of materials (comprising satins, laces, velvets and microfibres) that were used to make various garments and accessories (coats, shirts and handbags).

The cooperative also has a boutique in Milan, in via Gaudenzio Ferrari, where on 12th October it

presented to the public its new collection. The garments and accessories produced with the materials provided by Schmid featured prominently in the store window.

A great social value for Schmid’s fabrics

“These collaborations are important because they are a tangible example of our company’s attention to social issues. Thanks to the dedication of a skilled and sensitive designer such as Rosita Onofri, our fabrics go beyond their initial purpose and demonstrate their intrinsic value by becoming garments, handbags and accessories of great design and quality,” highlights Paolo Ciccarelli, CEO and Chairman of Schmid.