It was on a walk to the beach with his son, that André Facote, noticed too much garbage. This made an impression on him and it was at that moment that he knew he had to do something for the ocean.
Together with Andreia Coutinho, his partner, he decided to start Skizo, which the main goal is collecting plastic from the sea, through the help of fishermen who they pay for this work.
A great idea for which they have a protocol with an international consortium with Italians, Spanish and French, as well as the harbors of Leixões and Setúbal in Portugal, and also with Java fishermen, in Indonesia.
They started by transforming plastic into textile thread but soon realized that they should create a line of sneakers made of plastic taken from the ocean, where the construction was at the level of luxury companies. He says that “its manufacture is ultra-comfortable, seamless and extremely durable.” André had already removed more than two tons of plastic from the ocean.
1. Where did the idea of creating Skizo “From the Ocean”, come from?
I had gone to the beach, on the coast of Caparica to take a walk with my son, when I came across a lot of garbage on the beach, it made me aware and I wanted to do something for the ocean.
We started by doing investigation, research, development and innovation from November 2018 until February 2019, and in March, we had already removed two tons of plastic from the ocean. There are more than 852 kilos of plastic transformed into textiles, our materials are 98% recyclable, more than 500 fishermen support our cause and we have already recycled around 28 thousand plastic bottles that have been converted into products.
2. Did working with fishermen cause your business to proliferate quickly?
Yes, effectively by creating national and international protocols, I achieved not only my purpose of helping to clean up the ocean, but also boosting my goal internationally.
3. Your brand is distinguished not only by the cause but also by being a highly customizable brand, correct?
Yes, it is true, we do not want to retail and we always have about 10 pairs per month with an absolutely new and unique model, which makes the brand differentiated and innovative. Our construction aims to be at the level of major international brands.
We started with Sneakers, but then came fully customizable bags. We have the suitcase atelier within an association to support mentally handicapped citizens, APPACDM in Mirandela, it is there that bags are produced, in addition, we have also produced masks, considering that we are in a pandemic period.
4. What other partnerships do you have?
We have a very important partnership with a recycling center in Spain and another with textile production plants in northern Portugal.
5. Has the level of billing been rewarding?
Without a doubt, I see that it is possible to have a sustainable brand and be successful. This year we expect a turnover of around 300 000 euros.
6. What projects do you have for the future?
I would like to make clothes too, from t-shirts, sweats and tracksuits, this is my goal for the foreseeable future. Every person who buys us a pair of sneakers or another product, is helping the ocean, they are our heroes.
I think we should all contribute to the sustainability of the planet. Undoubtedly brands like this, help step by step to make the planet a better place for each one of us!
