• Renowned for its sweaters, Royal Mer specializes in nautical-inspired clothing.

  • Rescued from bankruptcy in 2016, it has since doubled its turnover.

  • The company is present at the major Made In France trade fair which is held in Paris until November 13th.

Since 1946, it has acquired a good reputation thanks to its marinières and knitted sweaters in traditional knits of marine inspiration.

However, the ready-to-wear brand Royal Mer, based in Loire-Atlantique and Ille-et-Vilaine, is today a survivor.

Twice, in less than ten years, it almost disappeared.

Placed in compulsory liquidation in 2015 due to strong international competition, it only owed its salvation, for the first time, to a duo of buyers and a strategic repositioning.

“We redesigned the collection, we refocused on knitting, our signature, taking the risk of putting aside all our fabric items [shorts, shirts, etc.], explains Hervé Coulombel, president of Royal Mer. now thoroughly on the quality and durability of our products.

At the same time, the brand has also tried to rejuvenate the target clientele, which is rather high-end, by adding colors and strengthening its presence on the Web.

And it works.

Driven by renewed enthusiasm for 

made in France

, Royal Mer has recovered spectacularly, doubling its turnover in a few years (5 million euros in 2021), despite still fierce competition in the Breton sailor-style clothing (Saint-James, Armor-Lux, etc.).

“A unique know-how sought after”

Distributed in more than 200 French points of sale, the company now produces 60,000 pieces a year in its workshop in La Regrippière, in the heart of the Nantes vineyards.

Some 70 people work there, including around 50 experienced seamstresses.

“This unique know-how is sought after.

After the rise of inexpensive and disposable clothing from Asia, there is a growing interest in short, reasonable circuit products that will last over time.

This remains fragile because we cannot offer prices as low as Asian manufacturers.

But the tide is turning.

So much the better for us”, appreciates Hervé Coulombel.


This boom in

made in France

, honored this week at the major Parisian fair of the same name during which Royal Mer is present, has also enabled the brand to develop subcontracting for other renowned brands: Agnès B. , Sézane, Hopaal, Fusalp… “They seek to produce in France and naturally come to us.

This now represents 25% of our activity,” says Hervé Coulombel.

Masks as a lifeline

However, this revival was almost short-lived.

In 2020, hit hard by the Covid crisis, Royal Mer once again finds itself in danger.

“All our resellers closed shop overnight.

Two-thirds of our spring-summer collection remained at the dock,” recalls the business manager.

He then came up with the idea of ​​throwing himself fully into the production of masks.

More than 600,000 masks, knitted in the house style, will come out of the La Regrippière factory.

“It definitely saved us,” he says.

The staff was extremely mobilized.

We have the feeling of having participated in the collective effort.

It was also an opportunity to demonstrate that we could be reactive and that we knew how to do something other than clothes.

»

If the mask activity was interrupted, like most French manufacturers, due to the late but massive arrival of Chinese masks on the market, the Royal Mer workshop nevertheless continued to diversify.

In 2021, a first shoe, a sneaker assembled by hand with recycled materials, was launched.

A second shoe model, winter and in wool this time, should follow.

At the same time, to cover its back, Royal Mer is also thinking about getting into knitted elements for decoration and furniture.

“These are avenues that we are seriously exploring,” confirms Hervé Coulombel.

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Sales at the workshop this weekend

Royal Mer is organizing its winter sales from November 10 to 13 (9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.) in its La Regrippière workshop, 35 km east of Nantes.

The company also regularly opens its doors to guided tours.

  • Pays de la Loire

  • Textile

  • Garment

  • Ready to wear

  • Made in France

  • Economy

  • Covid-19

  • Brittany

  • Nantes