QUEBEC CITY, Aug. 1, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The Simons store is charting a course for innovation thanks to its partnership with the transatlantic trading company Port Franc. On July 28, the port of Quebec City welcomed the sailing ship Picton Castle, bearing a cargo of authentic French high-end and resolutely forward-looking clothing. The goal: a zero carbon footprint!
More than just a nod to the history between the Americas and the old world, Mr. Peter Simons feels that this is basically one more step in the right direction: "For one thing, the fashion industry is considered to be the second largest source of pollution in the world, mainly due to the large-scale distribution methods it uses. For another, consumers are increasingly conscious of sustainable development. They are looking for products that are healthy, ethical and reliable. It is up to us to find solutions, one step at a time."
The merchandise of four well known French manufacturers was loaded onto the Picton Castle, a three-masted vessel 179 feet long carrying 12,500 square feet of sail, built in 1928. The ship departed La Rochelle on June 4 and set sail for Quebec City, powered entirely by wind! After an eight-week voyage, the ship landed this morning with the partners and the media on hand. Alexandre Taillefer's Teo Taxis then took over, carrying the cargo from the dock to the Simons warehouses, keeping everything carbon-neutral.
The descendant of a merchant who is said to have crossed the Atlantic 18 times in the pursuit of his import business, Mr. Simons is already well known for his environmental and social values, which are shared by the Quebec firm Port Franc, founded in 2015.
"Our trading company hopes to facilitate ethical and sustainable trade between the North American public and the independent artisans on the other side of the Atlantic. We keep the supply chain between the workshops where the goods are made, and consumers, as short as possible. This enables us to offer fair prices and to develop alternative means of transportation, while promoting businesses that have never moved their manufacturing offshore and that have preserved their tradition of hand-crafted production," explains Joël Labrousse, President of Port Franc.
Thanks to this unique initiative, consumers will fall in love with the "Charentaise" slipper, crafted from virgin wool since 1907 by Rondinaud; the striped, sailor-style "Marinière" sweater from the Fileuse d'Arvor; the fouta (a multi-purpose cloth) from Mât de Misaine; and the iconic-looking oilskin jacket from Guy Cotten, manufactured to meet the needs of those who earn their living on the sea.
"With these exclusive collections and a unique, eco-friendly import strategy, Simons will literally have the wind in its sails this summer!" the company's President proudly declares.
Port Franc is already planning a second transatlantic crossing for this fall, using another sailing ship.
Photos of Port Franc collections: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B4WCHCayN98QaXNZbUlETFhYQ0U&usp=sharing
SOURCE Simons
Simons: Philippe Normand, 418 692-0259 ext. 1109, [email protected]; PortFranc.Co: Fabien Loszach, 514 629-5670, [email protected]; Media relations: Tac Tic Marketing, [email protected], 418 658-1761
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