Quand une passion nous habite…
Senegalese, married and mother of two children,I am an infographic designer and interior decorator.
I like beautiful things; those through which we can feel a certain soul with good energies.
Interior design has always been a discipline in which I could see myself evolving. It is a vast environment where you can allow yourself certain contrasts, therefore giving free rein to your imagination and being able to physically materialize your ideas.
As a decorator, my idea is to work “my style” by proposing very specific and defined ideas.
Coming from another country with habits and a culture different from France where we have settled since Covid, my objective is to achieve as much as possible a mix between African culture and that of France, at the same time. image of my children, to obtain a beautiful and lively result.
Nature inspires us
... Trees with intense green foliage shining in the sun, the orange-red clay soil and a clear blue sky, the birds singing...
Welcome to Massé
A small village of around 3,000 inhabitants 130 kilometers from Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin; in west Africa
The harmony of shapes, colors and materials in a space could be defined as its decoration.
During the periods of confinement of the Covid 19 crisis, many of us rediscovered indoor life. With a natural concern for comfort and well-being, we then take care of the organization and layout of our living rooms, aiming for an aesthetic result.
SIBIIR is a structure with interior decoration professionals providing services but also a production unit for decorative items made with techniques and materials allowing the brand to get as close as possible to this concept of eco-responsibility. As the site is located in a rural area, SIBIIR is obliged to take the existing environment into account and strives to adapt to its natural constraints.
The implementation oftailoring workshops in Africa is a choice allowingcreate jobs locally. The work provided bycraftsmen and the ancestral heritage of their know-how makes it possible to achieve unique pieces in small series. This inclination also allows us to be able to give freedom of choice of patterns and colors forcustom made.
The Site
Le "micro village SIBIIR" est situé à quelques 100 mètres du CEG (Collège d'Enseignement Général) du village de Massé. Position permettant d'être visible par tous les jeunes du village qui fréquentent l'école pour les sensibiliser.
Les divers ateliers sont des paillotes conçues essentiellement avec des palettes recyclées.
Il intègre aussi une petite ferme abritant des poules, des moutons et chèvres, des lapins... et aussi un coin potager.
Dans ce milieu naturel époustouflant, nos amis les animaux ne peuvent qu'apporter une petite touche tonique à cette harmonie
The equipment
To house the workshops, the choice of construction is focused on straw huts with essentially recycled pallets for the
interior and exterior cladding, teak trunks for the supporting posts and the framework, and straw for the roof.
We usesolar energy for our electricity needs.
The weaving workshop is equipped with traditional vertical artisanal looms for women and horizontal looms for men.
For sewing, SINGER machines with pedal,without electricity , are the trademark of the SIBIIR Brand collections.
The Kanvô of Benin
Cultural heritage of Benin, Kanvô simply means woven loincloth in the Fon language (southern Benin).
In Africa, loincloths constitute a means of communicating cultural values; a means for each community to express its belonging to: a people, a royal court, a country or an ethnicity.
·King Béhanzin in Kanvô
It is said that “Kanvô” is inspired by the Nigerian loincloth “Asho oke”. King AGONGLO, 8th king of Abomey, impressed by the art of a Nigerian weaver, is said to have brought it back after a conquest (1789-1797). He would then have promoted himself there. His son, King Guézo, in turn developed the weaver's profession and popularized the woven loincloth in the high society of the monarchy.
Each pattern on the fabric is linked to the history and beliefs of different peoples. Indeed, no color is added at random. Each color has a special meaning. White represents purity, innocence and peace. In fact, it recalls the sacred and divine side. Although its presence is rare on fabric, we can have it in the form of a watermark. Yellow represents opulence, health, fertility and wealth in all its forms. The color gold is the symbol of royalty with high social status. Black is a symbol of mourning, darkness, evil, secrecy and mystery, but also of maturity and spiritual energy. This color is generally used in initiation and purifying ceremonies. Since it combines both negativity and positivity, black is both feared and revered.
While the Kanvô was once used for royalty and ceremonies for many centuries, the loincloth has today been able to combine tradition and modernity. It has evolved well thanks to the many passionate craftsmen, wishing to preserve the history and perpetuate it over the generations.
Kanvô now exists in various colors. With this loincloth, it is possible to produce any creation. Having become a fashion effect, it is widely found in the textile industry. This allows us to share its history with you through unique pieces made by these artisans who carry their own history.
In SIBIIR, Kanvô is the textile used to make unique pieces such as cushion covers among others presented on a line of 2-seater benches made, just like the huts, from recycled pallets and dressed in colors from the Annie SLOAN paint range.
Women at the Machines
SIBIIR, a decorative item production unit located in a village 130 kilometers from Cotonou.
Benin is a country with a tropical climate where it rains almost 9 months of the year. The vegetation is then abundant there. Right away in these villages, you can feel a beautiful connection with nature...
Being far from the capital, the infrastructure in Massé (commune of Adja-Ouèrè) is less. But in Benin, we still find primary, middle and high schools even in the most remote locations.
Although the primary cycle is free and compulsory for all children aged 6 to 11, the difficulties linked to girls' access to school remain persistent. Our sisters are then generally sent for training in local trades (seamstress, hairdresser, weaver among others...) and also take care of the harvests. With this limited field of opportunities, they are disadvantaged in the job market.
Moreover, it is almost cultural to see in these villages young women at work with their pedal sewing machine without electrical connection in front of their homes. This fact, with its seductive taste, of seeing them active with their tool to succeed in making pleasant achievements will mark the spirits.
Sustaining this activity by creating a household linen production structure in collaboration with these young women then becomes an idea.
- Promote the use of theseadult women with a fair remuneration
- Make textiles locally (with their traditional looms and the ancestral heritage of this know-how)
- Consider the professional achievements of the teams and work to update them to comply with the requirements; At current international market (while keeping their old SINGER machines without electricity as a tool)
- Promote the work of these young women through which they would gain more dignity and self-confidence
- May the Chic of African craftsmanship be reflected in the articles steeped in history, culture and value that these young women will have made in their village
... There,the challenge by SIBIIR
The King's Cushion
Hand-woven in 3h30 with polyester threads at 100%
Sewn in 1 hour by a Singer pedal machine without electricity:
After cutting, install piping in trim covered with cotton fabric, install the closure and assemble the cover. Interior serging with a solar-powered overlocker.
Quality control for measurements and finishes.
And voilaaaa...!
Formats : 40x40 cm / 45x45 cm
This cushion cover is inspired by the meaning of the original colors of Kanvô from Benin. Through it, SIBIIR wants to pay tribute to the good taste of King AGONGLO who was able to identify this noble textile and who imported it into his kingdom during conquests in Nigeria. Strong in the meaning it carries, SIBIIR will consider the Le Coussin du ROI cover as the face of the Brand.
PS: King Béhanzin of Danhomey received the King's Cushion during his enthronement ceremonies in August 2022.
It was a mixture of pleasure and indescribable pride to see that hisRoyal Drape was IN colors… As a guarantee ofcertificate of authenticity
Contact us
Address
Headquarters
Village of Massé, after the CEG - Benin
Branch
177 ter Avenue Corniche Fleurie - 06200 Nice
Contact
+229 66 26 86 47
+33 7 55 82 05 03
Hours of operation
Monday - Tuesday - Thursday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday: Closed