Specialties
SeeMe is a fair trade certified luxury brand that produces modern, sleek and elegant jewellery. However, SeeMe is also a social enterprise that strives to make the life of women who have been victims of violence a little better. In fact, SeeMe employs women, very often single mothers, who have been shunned by their patriarchal societies and once out of their shelter homes cannot find a job to provide for themselves and their children. Through trainings that often later result in employment, those women are empowered, they learn a craft and eventually earn a steady monthly salary. This way, they can regain their independence, their pride and their dignity.
SeeMe, while still being a young brand, has achieved a lot. In fact, on top of being a safe haven and source of income for women victims of violence in Tunisia and Turkey, it also strives to positively influence the big names in the fashion world. It has collaborated with worldwide renown Karl Lagerfeld, Tommy Hilfiger and Missoni. Moreover, SeeMe heart necklaces, the heart being the iconic symbol of the brand, have been spotted on the likes of Suzy Menkes of Vogue International, Angela and Rosita Missoni of Missoni, Antonella Antonelli of Marie Claire Italia Antonella Di Pietro of Tommy Hilfiger and Karl Lagerfeld, and many others. By wearing the heart SeeMe clients enter to be part of the #heartmovement, a worldwide movement that aims at replacing violence with love.
History
Established in 2012.
In the quest to help and improve women's conditions in the MENA region, in 2012 Caterina Occhio took a leap of faith and launched SeeMe. Its main purpose being to give a safe environment and secure work positions to women who have been victims of violence upon leaving women's shelters in Tunisia, while at the same time developing successful designs and beautiful jewels. In fact, SeeMe aims at bridging luxury and fair trade.
Meet the Business Owner: Caterina O.
Caterina Occhio is a former development aid manager with over 15 years experience in supporting employment and institutional reform. She worked extensively for the European Commission, different UN agencies and from 2002, she specialised in the socio-economic integration of women.
In 2007, Occhio became the secretary-general of the SEED Foundation and led two projects supporting socio-economic insertion of disadvantaged women in Turkey. In 2010 she was EU Policy adviser for social inclusion for the new employment strategy in Tunisia.
Pioneering the fair luxury movement, in 2012, Caterina Occhio founded SeeMe, a brand producing sleek heart-shaped jewellery. All SeeMe hearts are handcrafted by women who have been victims of violence. In fact, SeeMe aims at bridging luxury and fair trade and is expanding fast, from heart to heart.