Guy Cotten
Encyclopedia
Guy Cotten is a French businessman, born in Saint-Yvi
(Finistère
). In 1969 he created at Concarneau
, his own business called GUY COTTEN, a company specialising in commercial fishing clothes, which became famous for its yellow oilskin item.
The company sells clothing and personal equipment in areas such as the fishing industry, all sea-related professions, outdoor, all-weather and safety clothing.
.
In 1964, he started to sell clothes for commercial fishing at the harbour of Concarneau, and decided to launch his own workshop in order to create lighter and more resistant oilskins. He wanted to use nylon fabrics instead of the usual coated cotton. He conceived in 1966 the Rosbras, a jacket with a double velcro and a zip fastener, which became the reference item of the brand. The jacket is made of a polyester fabric covered in a PVC from the Ardèche
, seamed by a high frequency welding method which results in impossibility for any water to go through the stitches. The company started with only ten workers but due to its success and to respond to the important demand a new workshop opened in Trégunc
.
In 1974, Alain Le Quernec drew the little yellow man which became the emblematic brand logo and in 1981 the slogan L'abri du marin (the sailor's shelter) is added.
In 1988, the company took over Piel owned by Pirelli
, specialised in survival equipment. It took GUY COTTEN 4 years to design and create the TPS (Thermal Protective Survival), a soft, light and isolating survival suit which saved the life of Raphaël Dinelli and Thierry Dubois, during the Vendée Globe Race in 1996.
GUY COTTEN became a multinational with subsidiaries in the United Kingdom
, in Spain
and in North America
, The company is a market leader for the sea related professions and people practicing outdoors activities. The brand is present in 5000 outlets, of which 2000 are outside France, but the Rosbras jacket, the symbol of the brand, only represents 10% of overall sales nowadays.
In 2003, Nadine Bertholom, daughter of the founder, took charge of the company.
In 2006, the company dominated the Salon nautique de Paris with its capuche Magic (Magic hood), which follows the movements of the wearer's head.
The company also sponsors competitive sailors Gilles Gahinet, Florence Arthaud and Jean Le Cam
, and is a partner to the French National Team.
Saint-Yvi
Saint-Yvi, or Saint-Yvy, is a commune in the Finistère department in Bretagne in northwestern France.Saint-Yvi was previously known as Saint-Yvy; its name was officially changed on September 16, 2005.-Population:...
(Finistère
Finistère
Finistère is a département of France, in the extreme west of Brittany.-History:The name Finistère derives from the Latin Finis Terræ, meaning end of the earth, and may be compared with Land's End on the opposite side of the English Channel...
). In 1969 he created at Concarneau
Concarneau
Concarneau is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.The town has two distinct areas: the modern town on the mainland and the medieval Ville Close, a walled town on a long island in the centre of the harbour. Historically, the old town was a centre of shipbuilding...
, his own business called GUY COTTEN, a company specialising in commercial fishing clothes, which became famous for its yellow oilskin item.
The company sells clothing and personal equipment in areas such as the fishing industry, all sea-related professions, outdoor, all-weather and safety clothing.
Company history
First son of a farming family of seven kids, Guy Cotten lost his father while he was seven years old. He had to work quickly and started a career as a racing cyclist, and then sold overalls in the YvelinesYvelines
Yvelines is a French department in the region of Île-de-France.-History:Yvelines was created from the western part of the defunct department of Seine-et-Oise on 1 January 1968 in accordance with a law passed on 10 January 1964 and a décret d'application from 26 February 1965.It gained the...
.
In 1964, he started to sell clothes for commercial fishing at the harbour of Concarneau, and decided to launch his own workshop in order to create lighter and more resistant oilskins. He wanted to use nylon fabrics instead of the usual coated cotton. He conceived in 1966 the Rosbras, a jacket with a double velcro and a zip fastener, which became the reference item of the brand. The jacket is made of a polyester fabric covered in a PVC from the Ardèche
Ardèche
Ardèche is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River.- History :The area has been inhabited by humans at least since the Upper Paleolithic, as attested by the famous cave paintings at Chauvet Pont d'Arc. The plateau of the Ardeche River has extensive standing stones ,...
, seamed by a high frequency welding method which results in impossibility for any water to go through the stitches. The company started with only ten workers but due to its success and to respond to the important demand a new workshop opened in Trégunc
Trégunc
Trégunc is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.-Population:Inhabitants of Trégunc are called in French Trégunois or Tréguncois.-References:** -External links:* /*...
.
In 1974, Alain Le Quernec drew the little yellow man which became the emblematic brand logo and in 1981 the slogan L'abri du marin (the sailor's shelter) is added.
In 1988, the company took over Piel owned by Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
, specialised in survival equipment. It took GUY COTTEN 4 years to design and create the TPS (Thermal Protective Survival), a soft, light and isolating survival suit which saved the life of Raphaël Dinelli and Thierry Dubois, during the Vendée Globe Race in 1996.
GUY COTTEN became a multinational with subsidiaries in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, The company is a market leader for the sea related professions and people practicing outdoors activities. The brand is present in 5000 outlets, of which 2000 are outside France, but the Rosbras jacket, the symbol of the brand, only represents 10% of overall sales nowadays.
In 2003, Nadine Bertholom, daughter of the founder, took charge of the company.
In 2006, the company dominated the Salon nautique de Paris with its capuche Magic (Magic hood), which follows the movements of the wearer's head.
The company also sponsors competitive sailors Gilles Gahinet, Florence Arthaud and Jean Le Cam
Jean Le Cam
Jean Le Cam is a French sailor.Le Cam was crewman with Éric Tabarly and Michel Desjoyeaux, and won the Solitaire du Figaro in 1994, 1996 and 1999. He later took interest in multihull ships....
, and is a partner to the French National Team.