Inmate-Made Garments

It would be hard to understand the true meaning of the 'Pietá' clothing made in prison without knowing what it makes reference to. Its meaning, "mercy" represents the concept for which this initiative has been taken: it reassures the ability of people to move forward and get ahead, despite being derived of freedom.

Pietá was initiated by French Thomas Jacob and inmates from San Pedro Men Prison and Santa Monica Women's Prison in San Juan de Lurigancho (Penal San Pedro) to make urban, simple, minimalist and sustainable clothing.

Jacob worked for Chanel and it was not until visiting the prison facility with a friend that they found great potential; inmates with spare time that would help to give them a brand new vision of reality and not just to be sunk in a not-so-effective process of reintegration into the community. Then, why couldn’t they use the areas that the prison provides? Why not offer them a chance to those who really want to move forward? And due to the experience of Jacob in high-fashion, why not make quality clothing with inmates inside prison?

All inspired by and inside the prison, using its facilities and inmates for the photoshoots, Pietá bets not only on selling clothes, it’s a brand that goes beyond that. The designs and patterns are made by Jacob himself, while the production of the clothes are in charge of the inmates in their ateliers and at the same time they earn a sales percentage, which it is used to support their families. The sales are exclusively online and they have already sold more than 12,000 units. Pietá sells a lot more than urban clothing; it sells quality, and more importantly, it gives a new start for a brand new kind of life.