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contact us
Jennifer Morellato (sales/press/PR/boutique)
jennifer@smateria.com
MP: (+855) 12647061
Elisa Lion (designer R/D)
elisa@smateria.com
MP: (+855) 12 869762
SHOP IN PHNOM PENH:
(+855) 023 211701
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our team
Each new member of staff brought to the team a wealth of different human and professional experience. This diversity soon became our greatest strength. It is thanks to our amazing staff that the work at Smateria is a daily adventure full of surprises and emotions. One we never tire of. |
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recycled plastic bag collection
In Cambodia plastic bags are strewn everywhere, all over the streets and in the rivers. In 2006, the sheer number of them transfixed Elisa. With such a ready supply, it made sense for Smateria to transform this material into something desirable - black like oil, soft like leather, resistant like only plastic can be - ideal for bags and pochettes.
And where better to base the new project, than Andong village. The village was founded in 2007 when the Cambodian government decided to “clear” part of Phnom Penh and use this land to build new expensive houses, hotels, restaurants and shops. 8,000 families were forced to move from their homes to a new area without electricity and running water. Andong is too far away from Phnom Penh for the people to commute there and back so most lost their jobs.
A number of NGOs set up projects to help these displaced people and in 2008, Jennifer teamed up with CIAI (Centro Italiano Aiuti Infanzia) , a prominent Italian NGO , and moved the plastic workshop to Andong.
20 women currently work for Smateria in Andong, trained by Lina, the project supervisor who is blessed with “magic hands”. The team of women collect the plastic, wash it, cut it and work with the crochet hook and needles to create the wonderful bags on our shelves today.to me you can leave it, maybe we will start again. |
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mosquito net collection
Recipe
Ingredients:
Take some Net – Originally designed as protection net for use on construction sites, the net that doesn’t meet safety standards is sold off as “faulty” at the markets. It then becomes multi purpose: people buy it for drying rice on, for fishing, or to protect cows from mosquitoes. We purchase rolls of this “mosquito net” to make our beautiful products.
Mix with Accessories – we choose the best zips and buttons to ensure the finest quality (zips, plastic and imported metal accessories).
Add a good quality Lining – lining materials are chosen according to what’s available at the market, so, like all good chefs, we use whatever ingredients are fresh and available that season.
Method:
Make the bag by combining the above ingredients, mixing the strength and lightness of the net with colourful layering techniques. The Khmer tailors combine their clever technical skills to make these Italian designed bags.
Result:
A unique, tailor-made bag – each one is a “one-off”. |
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smoto collection (recycled moto seats)
“Hold onto your SEATS”
Fact: 79 percent of the million ‘registered’ vehicles in Cambodia are motorcycles.
Legend: The ‘moto’ holds legendary status among Cambodians. Everybody wants or has one. 5 people can easily fit on one. Monks bless new ones every day at the pagoda. They have pride of place inside people’s houses and are cleaned with obsessive regularity. With no public transport system and cars being so expensive, the motorbike is essential to the Cambodian family.
Future: But once it’s on the scrap heap, nobody is apparently interested in old motorbikes, especially their SEATS…nobody except SMATERIA!
It took us almost three years to create our own recycling network. We are now finally able to produce our bags and wallets made from recycled bike seats, as a loving reminder of the noise you hear in Cambodia 24hrs a day. |
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about us
THE HISTORY
The Dynamic Duo: Elisa and Jennifer
Smateria was set up in 2006 in Cambodia by two Italian friends: Elisa, who runs the creative side and Jennifer, the business side. They both believed “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure” and knew it was possible to transform discarded old materials into gorgeous new accessories.
Elisa lived in China and Italy before moving to Cambodia in 2006 with her family. Jennifer has lived in Cambodia since 2001 with her partner and their two children. She has worked in the tourism industry for years and was looking for a new challenge when she met Elisa.
It was the unlikely combination of a roll of faulty net on sale at a market and tripping over a black plastic bag, which sowed the seed in Elisa’s mind, that something beautiful could and should be created from “useless material”. From this point on, her house was transformed into a small workshop and her children said “good-bye” to their playroom.
A chance meeting at a children’s play date resulted in Jennifer and Elisa’s meeting of minds and when Jennifer saw Elisa’s first prototypes, it was love at first sight and she immediately began drawing up business plans in order to open the first shop / workshop.
The pair started out with “three tailors and a heap of ideas”. Both were in their element - Elisa was finally getting to use her creativity and Jennifer was trying her hand at running a company.
These days Jennifer runs the daily operations and the commercial part of the company from Phnom Penh. Smateria now has four shops in Cambodia and exports to 10 different countries. Elisa moved to France in 2009 from where she manages production (more than 40 tailors in Cambodia). She flies to Cambodia as often as possible to work on research and new product development.
Elisa and Jennifer continue to learn every day from their inspirational Cambodian team. To work alongside Cambodian managers in their business who were formerly exploited workers without rights or a future, confirms for Elisa and Jennifer that their dream has definitely become a reality.
THE COMPANY
Smateria is a self financed, ‘for profit’ company, the ‘profit’ from which goes straight back into the business. Employing able bodied and disabled people plus members of their families, in just four years, the business has grown from five to 50 employees.
All Smateria employees are contracted, in accordance with International Labour Law (ie 1 month paid annual leave, paid maternity leave, health insurance etc). 85 percent of employees are young women who are encouraged to bring their children to work, where Smateria pay for child care.
Training undertaken with Garment Industry Productivity Center (GIPC), a local project run by USAID, has taught the staff efficient work methods to improve performance.
Smateria outsource part of their work to family members of their staff, by financing the sewing machines (which are repaid to Smateria monthly, with no interest) and offer a free training to the tailors and their families. To date, Smateria has financed 40 sewing machines. |
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welcome
Smateria's product creation is not only about recycling: it is also about creating useful, attractive and innovative items from the most mundane materials. By using materials that already exist, or have already been used, we draw our customers into a world of new perceptions and imagination.
Smateria is all about transformation. A used milk carton becomes a diary or maybe a handbag. Creative thinking adds value to an object, regardless of its original worth.
Smateria aims at a continuous process of transformation, beginning with discarded objects. Obviously this implies a strong eco-friendly message: let’s not be wasteful; we can look beautiful even while wearing recycled material. Whether it be a handbag, a lamp or a fairytale hat. We know that fairytales always come true... |
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