2021 has barely ended and it is already time to take stock. A year marked, certainly, by the uncertainties of Covid-19, but above all by many achievements. A look back at a year rich in progress, projects and commitments.
Strengthening our commitments
The biggest project we worked on this year was the calculation of our carbon footprint. In partnership with the Utopies agency, we decided to undertake a detailed assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions linked to our activities. A complex undertaking, aimed at gathering as much information as possible on Hast’s different areas of activity. From sheep farming to team members’ travel, a significant amount of data is taken into account, enabling us to estimate our emissions as accurately as possible.
By 2030, we will therefore take concrete steps to limit the impact of our production, for example by increasing the share of organic materials in our collections or by limiting the use of wool. We have also already installed recycling points in our shops. Everyone can bring back pieces they no longer need and, in time, we aim to turn them into recycled fabric, thereby supporting the principles of the circular economy.
Diversifying our content
This year again, we were delighted to share a few wonderful encounters with you in our journal. Food, sport, architecture: we wanted to offer a varied selection. Chefs Juan Arbelaez and Grégory Marchand, sports journalist Daniel Riolo, young writer Pierre Adrian, and the founders of Tiptoe and Artsper: we wanted to introduce you to profiles that speak to everyone.
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Alongside this interview format in the journal, we wanted to go further and launch our own podcast. As you know, we are committed to offering you diverse, original content that highlights craftsmanship and inspiring personalities. Through the podcast HONEST, by Hast, we chose to talk about men and women whose journeys and search for meaning resonate with us. For the first four episodes, available on all platforms, you can discover the stories of Vendée Globe sailor Eric Bellion, TheGoodGoods founder Victoire Satto, explorer Alban Michon and Yann Lotodé, founder of the La Tie Solidaire association. Four inspiring episodes, soon to be joined by the accounts of two other equally interesting guests.
Alongside these new formats, we strengthened our video presence by offering two new formats, Hast Looks and Hast Focus, designed to give you style ideas and tell you even more about how our pieces are made.
This desire to inform and be transparent, inherent to our values, also led us to continue our “workshop” videos. For the launch of our very first organic cotton selvedge jeans, you can discover the behind the scenes at the Portuguese garment workshop we have been working with for several years now!
Developing the range and brand image
Because yes, this year we launched our very first selvedge jeans, but that is not all! As you know, we are gradually expanding our range with new pieces for the men’s wardrobe. Always made to the same exacting standards, both in the excellence of their construction and the quality of their materials. This year, we launched our very first short-sleeved shirt (a major step forward for the purists we are!) as well as the first Hast swimwear. The expansion of our range was accompanied by a desire to pursue a more developed artistic direction in our shoots. We wanted to showcase our pieces to their best advantage, with an increasingly polished, contemporary aesthetic. You may have noticed that we called on a film photographer for the campaign for our winter collection “Le Goût du Sel”. We hope to continue surprising you, always.
Towards even greater transparency
As mentioned earlier, this year gave us the opportunity to restart many projects put on hold by the Covid crisis. In particular, we were able to pack our bags and visit our European suppliers. It was a joy to reconnect in person and to film and share the craftsmanship we hold so dear. In the interest of transparency around our practices and the stages of our production, we also began redesigning our product pages. The aim is to give you as much information as possible about how our pieces are made, the workshops where we produce them and, thanks to the work carried out on our carbon footprint, their detailed carbon impact.
New collaborations
2021 was also a year of fruitful collaborations. At the beginning of the year, we launched a partnership with independent stylist Carbone 14. She advises us on how best to care for our garments and make them last longer. We also launched a capsule collection with shoe brand M. Moustache (a work jacket designed by us and a pair of shoes designed by them). A great success that allowed us to bring together our respective craftsmanship. Finally, we gave carte white to Clément Breton, founder of Crafted Paris and Brut Archives. The aim was to offer you outfit ideas combining Hast pieces with vintage pieces. We like the idea that everyone can reinvent our pieces with those already in their wardrobe. A Hast piece is a lasting piece that elevates an outfit. We also took the opportunity of this collaboration to focus on the history of certain pieces. This is the case, for example, with our riptstop overshirt (available in our journal).
Strong exposure
All our efforts have been recognised. Hast had the honour of being named the best menswear website in a study conducted for Capital magazine (out of more than 10 000 other e-commerce sites). It is a wonderful recognition of the work our teams do every day.
We are also delighted to have joined the directory of brands recommended by the French outlet specialising in sustainable fashion TheGoodGoods. This is an important step forward, allowing us to become part of an ecosystem of brands that takes into account the impact of our industry on the environment. Alongside these successes, we were once again fortunate this year to receive strong coverage, with articles published in Very Good Lord and Forbes, among others.
2021 was therefore a rewarding year, full of wonderful projects. 2022 opens with the prospect of going even further, notably with the important occasion of the brand’s 10th anniversary. On the agenda, in no particular order: fresh faces in the team, new products (glasses?), new shops (!), and joining a long-term project on linen traceability, in collaboration with CELC. More to come this year!
Best wishes to all,
The Hast team.
