by L'Exception, on December 5, 2023
Hircus, sustainable cashmere clothing
Discover our ECO X CEPTION brands, impact-conscious brands that move fashion in the right direction.
We're lucky enough to meet the co-founder of the Hircus brand, Jean-Nicolas Payart, to chat with him about his brand.
Hircus is a Paris-based brand founded nearly 10 years ago by 2 lifelong friends. Their flagship material? Cashmere . For them, nothing beats this noble, soft, light and warm material. A brand committed to environmental, social and societal issues, it strives to sell the right product to the right person. Hircus offers men's and women's collections with timeless, long-lasting cuts, as well as a multitude of cashmere accessories of all kinds: gloves, socks, etc..
Don't miss our interview with one of the founders of this lovely brand.
How did the beginning of the Hircus adventure go?
I founded Hircus 10 years ago with a childhood friend. At the time, we were looking for good quality cashmere with the right cut.
There was only one major player exclusively dedicated to cashmere, but there was no cashmere specialist with an accessible high-end positioning. So we decided to position ourselves in this niche.
Today, we offer a wide range of coats, shirts, pants... .
We also offer a wide range of accessories, socks, gloves - in short, anything we can create with cashmere, we do.
When we started out, we first launched an e-commerce site, then quickly opened physical boutiques. Indeed, cashmere arouses a particular interest; it's a material that people like to touch, appreciate, try on etc.
That's why we gradually developed a network of boutiques exclusively in Paris. Today we have an e-commerce platform as well as 5 Paris boutiques. We want to be omni-channel, and today we're a team of around twenty people divided between the boutiques and the web. 10% of our sales are generated internationally, mainly in Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
Where do the identity and inspiration for your brand come from?
Identity and inspiration come to us from elegance in general. Our ambition is to offer a complete range of high-end cashmere garments, part of an accessible luxury approach while respecting the brand's fundamental principles focused on environmental, societal, and social issues.
Can you tell us more about your product design and manufacturing processes, as well as your workshops?
All the cashmere comes from Asia, in the Gobi Desert. This is where 90% of the world's cashmere is produced. As for the other product ranges, everything is made in Europe. Each country brings its own specificity to the product. Asia's specialty lies essentially in cashmere, which possesses ancient know-how, good stitch techniques, high technicality, high-quality machinery... We work with a supplier who masters all stages of production, from harvesting to production.
All our partners are certified. As I mentioned earlier, we have a strong environmental commitment. Everything is certified Oeko-Tex, The Good Cashmere Standard which ensures high standards in terms of animal welfare, respect for the environment and working conditions for breeders, Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), or even Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) etc...
Why did you choose to use cashmere?
It's a noble, wearable material and everyone loves cashmere. It's different from wool, which is a bit scratchy and heavy. Cashmere has the particularity of becoming softer over time, and improving with each wash. So it's a material that improves over time and is long-lasting.
How does Hircus contribute to "slow fashion", to more responsible consumption?
We only work with 100% natural materials. Today, I still have sweaters from the first collection in my wardrobe. They're timeless and long-lasting.
What's your core target market?
We have a 30-50 year-old target, who appreciate beautiful materials and want a product that lasts over time.
Hircus aims to be a brand that helps create a positive social impact, can you tell us more about your commitments?
We mainly work with three associations. Historically with "Aides", Then we work with "Une couverture pour l'hiver" which is an association that helps the homeless to help them during the winter.
Finally, we've created a solidarity product with Maison Guillemette, where profits will be donated to "Sparadrap", an asoociation that helps children with health problems.
How do you see the future of Hircus?
The company's vocation is to grow, while remaining true to its core values i.e. societal, environmental and benevolent issues.
We're going to develop e-commerce while expanding our retail network, and we also plan to obtain the B Corp label in 2024 in order to reinforce and concretize our commitments.
Discover our women's selection HIRCUS
Discover our men's selection HIRCUS
