Sandilou is a textile enterprise in Haiti that creates international chic with a Haitian touch. Sandilou’s products are created by actual human hands as much as possible. A team of artists hand paint free-style on blank fabrics with dyes, paint, and silkscreen. Sandilou provides living wages to its 10 employees in a country with a 70% unemployment rate. Sandilou helps Haitian artists to develop their talents and make an income by doing what they love.
Sandilou also collaborates with the Paradis des Indiens Foundation, an educational and vocational training foundation in Abricots, Haiti. Women from Paradis des Indiens are paid to do hand embroidery and applique for pillow cases or other items in Sandilou’s product lines.
Meet Franz
Franz Pierre Louis is one of Sandilou’s original artists. He grew up around clothing and textiles and has always had an affinity for art. Franz Pierre’s mother worked for years at the previous clothing company created by Sandra Russo, the founder of Sandilou. When Franz Pierre was a young boy, he started to work with an airbrush and excelled at it. He was introduced to dyes and paint and has become a prolific painter. He uses his natural talents for color matching to create spontaneous art that iis joyful, vibrant, and high quality. Franz is now married and has 2 boys, ages 7 and 5. He provides for his family through his art and is helping create the next generation of Haitian artis
