Bringing the parasol to America

Small-batch parasols, made by hand.
Shade for the sol. Space for the soul.

Meet the designs ↓
Meet the designs ↓

Sirca85 makes hand-crafted parasols inspired by philosophy. Five concepts. Five ways of being. The first collection is being decided right now, by you.

Ensō · the open circle

A circle drawn in one breath—a single brushstroke, left open on purpose. Nothing finished, nothing perfect. That’s where the beauty lives.

We carry it for the days we feel whole and still becoming.

Ma · the space between

The beauty of empty space — a single branch leans off-center, and the quiet around it does half the work. For the minimalist who finds luxury in what’s left out.

We carry it for the seasons we make space for ourselves.

Scars made golden so the cracks become the most beautiful part. For those who have rebuilt and came back stronger.

We carry it for everything we’ve survived and stopped hiding.

Kintsugi · repaired with gold

Beauty that keeps its voice low. The seigaiha waves carry an ancient blessing: calm seas, good fortune, peace that repeats like the tide.

We carry it for the days we have nothing to prove.

Shibui · quiet confidence

Where what we love, what we’re good at, what the world needs, and what we can be paid for meet. Ikigai is found at the intersection of these four elements creating a life that is satisfying and harmonious (western framework of ikigai).

We carry it for the mornings and days we feel a reason for being.

Ikigai · reason for being

Made with you.

I'm building Sirca85 in public, sharing every step as it happens. The samples, the learnings, the artwork, the decisions.

This brand goes further. It's made with you. Your votes decide which designs get made and in what order. The design above with the most votes by August 8 drops first as a limited run.

And the decisions keep coming. The thread color holding the canopy to the frame. The details of future runs. New philosophies and design concepts as the collection grows. When there's an important choice to make, I bring it to you, and you help make it.

You're a designer of this brand whether you buy a parasol or you simply share your opinion. Your taste shapes what exists.

Come make them with me:

From the founder

Why a parasol

It started with a parasol I bought at a music festival in San Diego, where I was living at the time. I held it and had to have it. When I opened it, it stretched wide and felt solid, like a perfectly oversized version of the little umbrella in a tiki drink.

It got me through the festival sun, and when I moved back home to Florida years later, it came with me. I cherished it that much.

Then it mostly sat. Until one brutally hot summer day, facing a long walk with no shade, I finally brought it out. In 15 minutes I got 4 compliments from the most random, diverse mix of people. And I beat the Florida sun the whole way. That walk made my day.

Around that time, I had been pouring myself into a serious brand of mine. I felt a calling to create something lighter, more joyful, something I could put into the world. The parasol came back to my mind. And when I sat with it, I wondered: why doesn't everyone living in this heat have one of these? When I went looking for one worth ordering, nothing felt like me. So I decided to make them myself: beautiful, considered, and carrying meaning worth holding over your head. I found a workshop where they're still made the old way—each bamboo frame built by hand, each canopy finished one at a time.

— Priscilla

The details

Each parasol is made by hand. A bamboo frame paired with a cotton paper. The canopy opens to 33 inches across to keep you shaded

The Philosophy Collection: $75. The design with the most votes by August 8 goes into the first limited drop. Voters get first access to purchase once they’ve landed in the USA.

Happy to say I now have a video to show you the first sample order!

Unboxing the first sample order 🤗

Frequently Asked Questions

  • A parasol is made for the sun. Lighter materials, carried open for shade and beauty. An umbrella is made for rain, built to seal out water.

    Sirca85 makes parasols: companions for bright (and hot) days.

  • Yes, it’s not just a fashion statement. Sun protection is a major part of it. The canopy sits between you and the sun and blocks the direct light and heat from reaching your skin. It's the same reason any shade works.

  • Yes and they're making a comeback. Parasols were everyday items in much of the world for centuries. They never left places like Japan and parts of Asia. As more of us pay attention to sun exposure and staying cool, the parasol is finding its way back into daily life.

  • The canopy is made from cotton paper. It comes from cotton fiber instead of wood pulp which is what most paper is made from. Cotton paper is strong, soft, and slightly textured. It holds ink beautifully and lasts far longer than standard paper. It's the same kind of paper used for fine art prints, high-end stationery, U.S. currency, and important archival documents. For the Sirca85 canopy, it means the artwork prints with clarity and the paper holds up over time.

  • The original parasol was paper. Traditional Japanese sun parasols, called higasa, have been made from a bamboo frame and paper canopy for centuries. We chose paper because it stays closest to that classic form. There's something honest about it—the way the light comes through, the way it feels in the hand.

    Paper asks for a little more care than fabric, and we think that's part of what makes it worth keeping.

  • Each design is made in a small, exclusive run. Once a run is complete, that specific run is finished. Future runs may bring back a design in a different color or configuration, or introduce something new entirely. Your votes shape which designs get made, in what order, and which stay as concepts. I'll share the process here as it happens.

  • "Sirca" comes from the letters hidden inside the founder's name, Priscilla, and it echoes circa, meaning "around," like a circle. The 85 is her birth year. Even the logo is a circle left open, because we're each whole already, and still becoming.

  • Sirca85 is based in Florida, where the sun gives us plenty of reasons to carry a parasol.

  • I currently ship within the United States only. I'd love to reach more places over time, and international shipping may come later as things grow.

    If you're outside the US, your vote still counts. Every vote helps show which designs people want most. That input is invaluable.

  • Every parasol is packed carefully by hand, but if anything arrives damaged, send me a photo within 3 days of delivery and I'll send a replacement.

  • Yes. An unused parasol in original condition can be returned within 14 days for a full refund. Return shipping is covered by the customer. Please pack it securely as returns that arrive damaged can't be refunded.

  • Voting stays open. August 8 is the cutoff for the first production run. The design with the most votes by then goes into production first. After that, voting keeps going, and votes shape which designs get made next, and in what order. Some designs may not be produced right away, or at all, depending on how they resonate. Voters get first access to each design when it's ready, before anyone else.