OUR STORY
A tale of the Paris metro system, and wine.
BASTIEN
In February 2015, Bastien was wearing a bobble hat knitted by his grandmother when he lost it in the Paris metro system.
He went on the hunt for a replacement but found nothing but boring, badly-made hats with no soul.
An entrepreneur at heart, Bastien came up with the idea of creating a brand that looked like him; cheerful and honest, with a mission to inject good vibes into accessories and the lives of their owners.
He went on to create our first concept: The Bobble Hat Bar!
EMILIEN
In the winter of 2015 on the other side of Paris, while Bastien was looking for his bobble hat, Emilien was bored out of his brain in his nuclear engineering job: too much regulation, slow-moving and not enough creativity, so he decided to start his first company which he closed after a year.
Emilien was on the look-out for a new project to invest in, and met Bastien while enjoying a few glasses of wine. The duo teamed up (after many more glasses of wine) and Emilien channelled his commitment to animal welfare into Cabaïa and created our motto ‘Serious is boring’, a nod to his old job.
Initial successes
FIRST POP-UP STORES:
In the winter of 2016, Cabaïa joined the network of sellers in French department stores Printemps and Galeries Lafayette and opened 8 pop-up stores all over France (including one in Dijon, don’t ask why...). With over a hundred stockists in France (thanks to Princess Lala, our first stockist), Emilien manages the pop-up stores, website and shops, while Bastien oversees the factory, design process, management and logistics.
Our first concepts
Our mission : to make the world less serious and create the futur of fashion, commit and respectful.
1 Beanie + 3 Bobbles
The concept that launched the brand. Discover our best-loved Cabaïa bobble hat looks below 😍
Socks with a magic button
Our second concept, socks made inseparable thanks to a handy button. Named after couples, they’re soft and comfortable.
One small step for humans, one giant leap for Cabaïa
FIRST PARTNERSHIPS
First partnerships included RC 92, Lyon Football Club (pretty cool, we know), Miss France, and a bobble hat bar which opened at the ice rink on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower!
SOCKS DANCE
A new concept was launched: Socks Dance, inseparable socks that attach together with a small wooden button. As colourful as ever, just the way we like it (initially we tried to attach the socks using magnets, but they stuck to the drum of the washing machine...). Our products are 100% vegan and soon to be certified...
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND
Cabaïa aimed to conquer the world by expanding internationally, launching in Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, and even opening a pop-up store in Sweden (ok, so we admit Sweden was a bit of a fail this time, to be tackled again later)
Animals rule!
TOWEL HUT
A new concept is launched: round and rectangular beach towels, presented in a waterproof pouch with a small pocket on the back, enough to keep Cabaïa busy all year round! The opening of three pop-up stores marked the beginning of summer adventures in Nice, Aix-en-Provence and Toulouse!
OUR PROUD MOMENTS
Cabaïa receiving the EVE Vegan certification and launching a partnership with the SPA, donating all profits from our capsule collection to them. Then there’s the Marty Challenge, where we donate €1 every time a photo of our products is posted on Instagram! We only work with Oeko-Tex certified materials.
We’re not stopping, we’re striving!
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 BAGS
We launched our brand-new concept: Around the world in 80 bags! An urban, original backpack, full of great ideas, just the way we like it!
CABAÏAPERITIIIIIIIF
We launched Cabaïaperitif, evenings dedicated to humour in select venues to ensure good vibes not just when wearing our products, but all the time!
NEXT DESTINATION: EUROPE
We launched our website across Europe! Our dreams are coming true as we continue to deliver a daily dose of happiness (and madness) by creating fashion of the future, this time internationally!