Launched in 2006 in Plouguerneau (North Finistère) and specializing in coastal clothing for surfing and sailing, Hoalen, which today employs around fifty people and generates sales of around ten million euros – 80% in casual wear, 20% in technical clothing – launched its very first line of technical clothing dedicated to sailing at the end of 2024.
Named High Seas and integrated into the Explore range, it consists of overalls and a sailing jacket. “As we’re targeting sailors, who we dress on land or in the maritime world with little pontoon jackets or merino undercoats, we were missing this major piece of technical equipment, in the same way as the neoprene wetsuit we launched in our early days for surfers”, says Eric Cantineau, Hoalen’s managing director and co-founder.
To develop this collection, the company relied on a pool of sailors ambassadors made up of Jacques Caraës, Sébastien Josse and Basile Bourgnon, i.e. “three generations to have different points of view”, he continues.
Sébastien Josse, who has been associated with the brand almost since its inception, explains: “We started by putting on the table the products we were using with Basile and Jacques, to take stock of the situation, which enabled the Hoalen teams to develop a prototype that they let us try out at sea. From there, we gave them our feedback with lots of little details to correct, such as reinforcements at the knees, extra velcro to prevent them from floating, the need for sleeves and collars that don’t irritate, not too much fleece or zips that hold in water but don’t dry… The three watchwords were comfort, ease and quick drying.”
The fruit of these exchanges is the High Seas collection, with two products designed in 3-layer laminated fabric (the outer material, a membrane and a protective knit), featuring waterproof and breathable properties (10,000 mm/5,000g/m2/24h), all in a color that’s “aged yellow, orange, which is very appealing”, says Eric Cantineau.
The target and ambitions of this new technical line? “We’re targeting yachtsmen and/or racers involved in coastal and semi-offshore regattas,” answers the director of the Finistère-based brand, which deploys its products on its website and in its twelve ocean stores located, apart from the one in Paris, on the western seaboard (Basque country, Aquitaine, Brittany and Normandy). “We obviously have commercial ambitions, but we’re really tiptoeing along.”
This collection will continue to grow over time. “We’ll probably develop other versions of the jacket and overalls, as we did with our surf suit, and we’re also thinking of creating other products, but our priority is to get this first collection well established,” confirms Eric Cantineau.
Photo : Hoalen
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