Introducing Le Bonnet at Tenue de Nîmes
This fall we had the pleasure to launch a special, Tenue de Nîmes stone blue beanie with Le Bonnet.
Although we made 300, the color sold out before we knew it. Because many people asked us where this cool new brand was from, we decided to properly introduce our buddy Matthieu Janssen to all of you. Besides by his blue or red Le Bonnet beanie, Matthieu is best recognized by his (Yes, French) faded orange Renault Twingo of at least 20 years old.
Although many might think fashion is only about glitter and glamour, Matthieu shows it is in fact nothing but hard work and determination: Working late nights collecting orders, as his partner is sewing new labels to their colourful beanies.
This is one of those stories of a young dude asking himself why the market wasn’t offering him what he was looking for and then decided to jump into the window of opportunity himself.
TDN: Please introduce yourself and tell us where you are from?
Le Bonnet: I am Matthieu Jansen, founder of Le Bonnet Amsterdam, I am half French and half Dutch, hence the name. In a never-ending search for that perfect beanie, I decided to take it into my own hands. Create a product of high quality, for anyone at any occasion. Subtle hidden labelling was also a must as well as being able to wear it in different ways.
TDN: The Le Bonnet beanie looks very simple, but is in fact very hard to make. Can you explain?
Le Bonnet: Well, indeed it is not as easy as you would think, all aspects should come together. Use of the right yarns, knitting machines and knowledge. Each beanie that has been manufactured is been touched by at least ten pairs of hands.
TDN: Why is it that your Le Bonnet products are so incredibly soft. What’s the secret behind that hand-feel?
Le Bonnet: A secret wouldn’t be a secret anymore if I would tell you, but it has to do with a certain wash and use of yarn.
TDN: Where is Le Bonnet made? Why is this such a special place?
Le Bonnet: Our products are made in Scotland in one of the oldest factories of the UK. It is a special place because of the love and care that the employees have for the products. The knowledge and traditions are passed down through generations, and we highly believe this is visible in the end product.
TDN: Please tell us about the special Le Bonnet x Tenue de Nîmes color. How did that happen?
Le Bonnet: Tenue de Nimes was actually one of the first shops that sold Le Bonnet. After 4 year we are still going strong, so therefore a great match up to do something special in terms of a unique color exclusively with Tenue. It was not easy to find a color that had a denim-look and matched the shop colors, but I think we did quite well here.
TDN: Your collection is lean and dean. Are there any new products you are working on?
Le Bonnet: New products are coming, they are still in development, but definitely stay tuned!
Stay tuned for more exclusive TDN x Le Bonnet products and check out the colorful Le Bonnet beanies here!