1. We work at Lima - Perù
La República del Perú is the third biggest country in South America after Brazil and Argentina. It is divided into three large regions: the Pacific Coast , which is a band of deserted land stretching the whole length of the country, the Andes Sierra and the Amazonian Plain covered in tropical forests 60% of which is unexploited.
Today Peru numbers 27.5 million inhabitants. Life expectancy is 68 years for men and 72 for women.
Access to health care is still insufficient (infant mortality is 24/1000).
The Spanish language (spoken by 70% of the population) and the Quechua are the two official languages. The majority of the Peruvians (74%) live in urban areas, 9 millions of whom live in Lima , the political and economic capital of the country. The “pueblos jovenes” (slums) without either running water or electricity are omnipresent in the centre and suburbs of Lima. Most inhabitants get by with odd jobs and in Lima , it is estimated that 60% of the labour is informal (undeclared).
In spite of certain progress in terms of economy, Peru remains a poor country; the GDP totals 82 million dollars in 2006, ranking the country 79 th poorest in the world according to the Indicators of Human Development 2005 ( http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/hdi_rank_map.cfm ). The economic climate, the climatic phenomenon El Nino, or structural factors such as terrorism, the explosion of the narcotics trade and corruption within the political circle have prevented the country's economy to evolve and has left it in a state of social instability where the gap between the rich and the poor grows a little bigger every day.
However, Peru does possess elements favourable for development, such as raw materials of quality (cotton, coffee, many different fruits and vegetables), tourism, a relatively calm geopolitical climate and even well established political institutions today. The Constitution of 1993 gave birth to a Republic with a President who is Head of State and the representative of the nation. Peru lives under a democratic regime.
Misericordia works since 2002 in Peru, it is in our country where we decided to create a single project combining creation and social engagement: the first Peruvian mark of clothing present on the international scene of creation. Misericordia is one equip of dressmakers who works with his hands, his spirit and heart. The hope and the will are inside of us all. Living is fighting. Us let us bend to learn and see another world. No more Utopia.
The adventure started in Zapallal in the Northern suburbs, and was prolonged in the district of Victoria in the centre of Lima. Then in November 2006, Misericordia’s team follows its metamorphosis in the middle of capital, in the district of Lince. All the team gathered in a full space which gathers the laboratory of creation and the workshop of Misericordia: La Cabaña de Alta Costura. We open our doors all year long, to share our process of work with the person in charge of the creation of the models, the cut of fabrics and clothes industry of clothing. Come to discover our single history in one traumatized, terrible and attractive country.
2. We produce our clothes
Misericordia produces all its clothes in Lima in Peru within its two workshops of clothing industry by its own sewers employed during all the year. Misericordia does not work with any subcontractor for the making of its collection. Misericordia produces 15.000 clothes per year.
Misericordia is a vertically integrated company. All the processes, from manufacture to communication are carried out in-house. We do everything and that's what we do best. We share the work, the tough times and the giggles .
The whole of the manufacturing processes of Misericordia is carried out in our workshop: Cabaña of Alta Costura.
Every single clothe is made according to an organization of work autonomous and responsible. Each clothe is made by only one workman, who entirely carries out its making. This way offers the opportunity for every single worker to perceive the reality of its work, to develop a know-how and a single versatility. After a few months of experiment at Misericordia, each sewer becomes a skilled worker by now having under control every single stage of clothing industry .
Each clothe is scrupulously checked by Dorin, person in charge of quality control at Misericordia, thus guaranteeing the quality and the completion of our products.
Our team works full-time during the year. The production is managed so as to avoid the overloads and the consequences of a seasonal organization. The curve of evolution of the production volume is developed along with a training process uninterrupted which allows us to welcome new workmen that we form in our workshops and integrate into our team.
The short periods of small activity offer us the opportunity to produce small series and exclusive products for our customers, always looking for excellence and unique models.
3. We organize our work
Misericordia is a Peruvian independent company, S.A.C (Sociedad Anonyma Cerada). In order to respect Human Rights and apply some of the new economic theories born with alterglobalization, it is necessary to be actively present in a country and to live in its heart undertaking some direct actions. Being present in the heart of a developing country remains the only solution to have a direct, social and political impact in order to stop the corruption, poverty and to develop true and creative dynamics.
In Peru , more than half of the population still lives with less than 2 dollars per day.
Misericordia's objective is to guarantee a fair income, taking into account its worker's needs and its family in terms of education, health, social progression and more generally to raise the standard of living and the knowledge of everyone, outside of his work.
In 2007, Misericordia counts 27 right employment.
The workers work 45 hours, 5 days per week. Living in the Cono Norte, all the workers have to take the bus to come to the workshop.
The hourly rate salary of Misericordia's workers is 35% higher the Peruvian minimum salary. Each employee receives a 15 months income (11 months of salary, 1 month of paid-vacation, 2 months of bonus and 1 month due to their future retirement and benefits of a health insurance. often based on the Peruvian minimum salary. The main objective of Misericordia is also to support each employee in his personal development by offering him some help beyond the financial part.
Misericordia refuses to differentiate the salaries among men and women.
Vacation maternities and paternities are set up. It should be underlined here that often in Peru , the young mothers are alone to raise their children and their situation is often very tough.
Overtime is recovered by days off, in order not to overload the timetable of each worker and keep him close to his family.
One day rest is guaranteed over the week whatever the emergencies due to clothing industry.
Misericordia offers to its employees a secure job although that in Peru , most of the companies do not offer any guarantee and that the tiniest mistake or non-justified absence is immediately sanctioned by dismissal . Misericordia works in priority with poorest people. No recruitment policy is established, the team is randomly made up with people in search of a better future.
Misericordia does not work with employees for short durations. Each employee that comes in, sees himself offering the possibility of a work to unspecified duration.
Our workers have the right to enjoy 4 weeks of paid vacation per year (2 times 2 weeks periods distributed on the year).
At last, Misericordia refuses any form of slavery and participation of minors in its work as well.
Clothing industry is a difficult work having at stake many manual operations.
Misericordia is a small autonomous team, the tasks as house holding and transport of the boxes are fulfilled by the team in an interdependent spirit. Without Utopia: it should be stated here that our team takes part everyday in the required tasks for a good living within the workshop.
All the workers wear a complete uniform and an important collection of Misericordia clothes that are offered to them throughout the year. It is very important that each dressmaker has an intimate knowledge of the products he makes. The prototypes designed during the development of the collections are systematically offered to them.
Misericordia's workers make Misericordia clothes exclusively. We like our clothes and we are very proud of them.
The patterns , as well as the sewing machines, are left at the disposal of the team apart from the working hours. Each worker is allowed to use the material unused by the clothing industry to design and make his own clothes for himself and its family.
4. We are a team
All Misericordia's workers had a painful past with periods of immense distress. The first months are often used as a process of personal introspection and rebuilding in order to allow each one to perceive a nicer future on a long term basi. It is Misericordia's essence to offer a halt to think and rebuild what has gone wrong through the pas years. This is why Misericordia is a small team and keeps on developing workshops with reduced groups where human working relationship remains the priority and where solidarity is the rule. For the majority of our employees, Misericordia represents their first true professional experience and the first real recognition of the quality of their work.
Each worker owns an immense talent and a strong potential. Misericordia wishes to reveal one's talent while enabling him to express himself and look for a peaceful future. Misericordia has been published on the largest Peruvian information newspaper's cover and each member of Misericordia felt he has the recognition that he deserves for his work. The talent of each employee is truly recognized by his family and friends.
Each one is being proposed various evolution opportunities inside Misericordia offering him good perspectives according to his work. These aspects enhancing his confidence, all the workers develop real human qualities to involve themselves and to turn into profit their acquired knowledge in any other activities apart from the company.
The workers of Misericordia are responsible for their workshop located within the heart of the underprivileged districts. They have the responsibility to ensure production delays, the purchase of the raw materials, the quality, and the daily operations of the workshops. By giving each team member sense of responsibility, the whole group gets day after day a little more conscious that Misericordia's destiny is among their own hands. It is essential to give responsibilities and to make every one being aware of the stakes of its work and our common project. None of our worker had access to higher education and it is a fact that mathematics is not a passion. But all are able to learn and to show off their immense talent in an open-minded project where all is set up to support and improve personal development. Everyday the team manages in an autonomous way the production process whose budget is very important and they fulfil this task in total confidence, everyone's receiving the support he needs.
Each employee is deeply conscious that working at Misericordia is a risk one has to take: being implied in a project and facing its abilities and limits. It's also a good opportunity to show one's determination and energy through a multipurpose project.
5. Aurelyen, Misericordia's designer
Aurelyen is the designer, drawer, photographer, film director, webmaster, artistic manager, commercial director and communication manager: The orchestra's conductor of Misericordia.
In Lima , he is helped by Carlos Montverde, his cruising commander, to manage the project in Peru. For the creation of Misericordia's clothes, he is helped by all the team of Peruvian sewers .
Aurelyen lives more than 6 months of the year in Peru and has his carnete de extranjeria (Peruvian green card). The rest of the time, he travels over the world to share and promote Misericordia's project. There remains approximately 3 months per year in Paris , his motherland to present the collection at Misericordia's Parisian showroom and to visit to his brother Léonard, the key man in charge for Misericordia in Paris .
Peru is the adoptive country of Aurelyen, where he got to learn Spanish in Lima 's streets. Everything started in 2002 and Aurelyen found there his ground of creation and a true place to develop and express his artistic, social and political reflexions.
It is in Lima that Aurelyen draws and designs the collection models and develops the project axes. Clothing is the thinking and implies an immersion into the Peruvian culture and an everyday life within chaos, struggling with his survivor's energy. Each collection is a new moment for Aurelyen to gather his team in order to express and live Misericordia's history and their hearted fight.
His last name? A secret. Therefore, everyone calls him “Aurelyen ”.
6. We make living clothes
Misericordia dielivers its clothes everywhere around the world in more than 17 countries ( Germany , England , Austria , Australia , Belgium , Canada , China , Denmark , Spain , the United States , France , Greece , Holland , Italy , Japan , Sweden , Switzerland ) in prestigious shops.
Misericordia produces 15.000 clothes a year. All our customers own single and rare clothes, handmade work of a unique team.
Misericordia's collection treats about avant-garde clothes in order to show contemporary times of Peru and its living and active creation. Research and training are strong values that you may notice in our collections.
Our clothes are the expression of a talented group that works with hands, spirit and heart to make committed and spiritual creations. Our will is to create a strong relation between every single actor of the project: employees and costumers.
The team is the public image of Misericordia's clothes. Our values are found in our three emblematic colors: White, Sky Blue and Navy Blue. White is for purity, Sky Blue for hope and Navy Blue for serenity.
Misericordia's collection is beautiful because it is made of authentic values and human emotions: joy, fear, courage and passion … It is the manufacturing process that makes the quality of a product and makes it unique. Misericordia's team deeply implies itself into the making process and aims to become one of the best workshops of clothing industry in Peru . In 2002, we have started with little knowledge and without any funds. Aurelyen drew his first clothe and designed basics of Misericordia's line with Valentina and Melina, its 2 Peruvian pattern designers who had never made any complex garment of their life nor complete silhouette. Furthermore they've never managed any production nor worked in a company. With every single collection, we create complex clothes that are extremely difficult to realize according to our background but which contribute to change the fate of our daily environment.
We work in a hand-crafted way and our efforts are immense to make each garment. And that's what builds our life: a process of pride and pleasure's conquest.
Our clothes are today present in the most beautiful shops of the world: Colette - France , Baycrew 's - Japan , United Arrows - Japan . It is the story of the clothe that must be understood in order to appreciate its authenticity.
7. Our raw materials
The Misericordia collection is made with the most beautiful material of Peru . especially Pima, the best cotton fiber of the world, cultivated in Peru. Misericordia scrupulously choose each one of its raw materials in order to develop unique garment, with high quality and offering greatest comfort to its customers. Misericordia exclusively uses fabrics produced in Peru by national companies. These raw materials are high quality and Misericordia supports the local economy by showing proudly the richness of the Peruvian products.
For example, all our jerseys are purchased from one supplier: Jeisa Textiles, on the Victoria 's market in Lima . With this supplier, we are developed exclusive fabrics giving Misericordia a particular character. It is a very long term relation we engaged with all our suppliers we continue to work with since the beginning.
Biological cotton
Dispersed in more than 18 countries including Peru , biological cotton farmers need a fertile ground in order to produce strong and resisting plants against parasites and diseases. In biological culture there is no need to resort to any synthetic fertilizer nor pesticide or insecticide. It obliges the farmers to be more careful with their own culture and to find original solutions to the interconnecting problems.
Our biological cotton is produced with Peru and is dyed according to a traditional process. This fabric is exclusively used for some part of Misericordia's collection. The processes of natural dyeing are still in development in Peru and today most of dyeing factories are not proposing water treatment that is of primary importance. Misericordia supports biological agriculture in Peru which is today the first southern American producer.
Polyester-cotton
Misericordia's project began thanks to a sport uniform jacket of a college made out of Polyester-cotton. This material is the traditional fabric used by all colleges in Peru to make their uniform. It is necessary here to underline the historical and patrimonial character of this fabric that Misericordia transformed into emblem.
Our ecological concerns and the respect of the earth motivate us to develop most of Misericordia's collection with organic cotton. Therefore we don't want to exclude from our workshops what makes the history of our project and involves our dressmakers by treating about materials they would wear in their childhood, their country and their future. The priority of Misericordia is about telling to the inhabitants about planet, changing their working conditions for a beginning and changing their attitude vis-à-vis humanity and nature.
8. We are independent
Peru is a country of giant social disparities. The goal of Misericordia is to integrate poorest people in an economic model and not keep them into precariousness. We should not introduce here the uncontrolled development of the rich countries where money became very powerful. On the other end, it is necessary to build an alternative system where work is a place of expression and experimentation, and where everyone regains self-confidence in his capacities.
Misericordia is a Peruvian independent company that does not receive any public or private subsidy. It is a S.A.C (Sociedad Anonyma Cerada) managed by Aurelyen, a French young man that has his own Peruvian Carnete de Extranjeria. Misericordia does not seek any investor and wishes to develop itself in an autonomous way in order to guarantee the independence of its project. We have never received any public nor private subsidy.
Since its beginnings, Misericordia carried out all its investments in Peru to establish an action on the long term. All of the profits were used to build the two seaming workshops and offer fair working conditions to the team.
Today, Misericordia raises true questions to become an alternative example of creation and emotions. Started in 2002, our route is being traced according to our errors and our successes but every single choice was made in order to privilege dialogue and risk, engine for ideas creation. The desire remains the priority before any economic profit that still requires a long and hard job.
Misericordia diffuses its products everywhere in the world through select-shops which buy every season a selection in Misericordia's collection. The shops are an essential relay to develop Misericordia and today, they are the only places where we sale our clothes. They support a new and risky project. The stores are true actors of the project. By buying Misericordia's clothes directly, they support the Peruvian economy and take part in a better balance in the international exchanges.
The long term objective is to create Misericordia's own stores in order to reduce the intermediaries before getting to our ultimate consumers.
We are not related to any organization of certification. We are a single group and we improve everyday our organization and its structure according to a very special context: The metropolis of Lima.
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