Picture is the Auvergne-based eco-friendly outdoor clothing brand that is enjoying well-deserved success with its range of 100% recycled, organic or bio-sourced products.
New Mobility
Julien, Jérémy and Vincent, three friends originally from Clermont-Ferrand, decided in 2008 to create an outdoor clothing brand that was 100% committed, eco-designed and part of a sustainable development approach. “The textile industry is responsible for about 8% of global CO2 emissions”, they point out, meaning that they found themselves facing a sizeable challenge.
As far as the three entrepreneurs were concerned, it was a matter of stepping off the beaten track by using innovative and lower-impact materials and processes such as organic cotton, polyester recycled from plastic bottles, scraps of technical fabric that could be reconditioned and reincorporated into the linings of certain products, and new technical materials created from plants (bio-sourced materials), among others.
Picture is also about fair and ethical production, with respect for workers, supply chain knowledge and the source of the electrical energy used being key aspects of the company’s approach.
Julien, Jeremy and Vincent are three entrepreneurs who are somewhat activist, relatively visionary and above all very bold and who have come up with a new way of navigating the outdoor clothing market. The trailblazing businessmen have established a presence in a highly competitive market since 2008 through a clearly implemented environmental approach that spans their entire product range.
Picture was a sort of DNVB (Digital Native Vertical Brand) before its time. Originating online, the brand immediately forged close ties via the web with a community of customers who embraced its values of “Ride, Protect and Share. Everything is connected. We ride the spots that the planet offers us and we share these moments with friends, but we also want future generations to be able to enjoy them as much as we do”, the brand explains.
But whilst the brand may have originated online, it went on to develop through an increasing number of its own-brand physical stores (in Annecy, Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Les Deux Alpes, Hossegor and Biarritz), shops-in-shops and concessions. Picture now has an international presence spanning 30 countries and comprising 700 points of sale, allowing it to take its offering to its customers, who in turn are happy to be able to feel and try on the various product ranges the brand offers, and therein lies the key to its success.
Thierry Strickler, Retail Market Intelligence Lead at Altavia.
