Latest news with #Solfin
Fashion Network
11-07-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Womenswear label La Française drives growth for French knitwear specialist Solfin
Womenswear label La Française, launched in 2020 with Christine Phung as creative director, will account by the end of the year for 10% of the revenue of French knitwear specialist Solfin. A strong contribution to Solfin's growth, alongside that of the producer's other brand, Maison Solfin, and door-to-door specialist Magasins Bleus. In 2018, when Ludovic Samson bought Solfin, based in Villers- Bocage, near Caen, he was determined to continue to foster its nearly century-old expertise. 'It all began with a breeder of Angora rabbits who would send his sons out on their bikes to sell knitwear, then came the mail order business, in the 1970s,' said Samson. Unlike other manufacturers, who set up their own brands while chiefly producing for their clients, Solfin only generates 20% of its revenue via third-party manufacturing, mostly for high-end and luxury labels. 'We have more requests than we can handle,' Samson told Maison Solfin and La Française are owned by the Financière des Eparses group, which currently generates a revenue of €20 million, split equally between Maison Solfin and Magasins Bleus. The former, previously known simply as Solfin, is the group's long-standing proprietary brand, targeting a senior clientèle with 300 or so apparel items, all of them made in France. Magasins Bleus is a door-to-door organisation with a fleet of 100 trucks which visit retirement homes by appointment, selling a complete range of apparel for a senior clientèle, with products by Maison Solfin and other brands like Armor-Lux and Sloggi. Different approach with La Française In 2020, the group launched a new label, La Française, designed to reach a younger clientèle. 'It was both a deliberate and necessary decision to go looking for a new clientèle,' said Samson. 'Our knitwear is by no means aimed at a restricted target, since a crew-neck sweater can be equally worn at 30 and at 70 years of age. But La Française has a different approach to fits, more modern colours, and more feminine looks. This is what Christine Phung does for us,' he added. La Française's products carry the 'France Terre Textile' label (identifying products that are 75% produced in France), and its range includes about 80 different items made of 100% natural, recyclable and Oeko-Tex -certified fabrics. 'Our idea is to sell responsible, sustainable and ethical fashion,' said Samson, adding that, by selling through its e-shop, La Française can do without retail intermediaries, selling at pricepoints that are 'affordable for French-made products.' La Française tops, dresses, gilets and skirts sell for €150 to €250, while Maison Solfin prices range from €120 to €200. Having its own production unit, La Française can even afford to work on a pre-order basis. The label is able to poll existing customers about their item and colour preferences, and customers can pre-order products that will be manufactured and delivered in six to eight weeks. 'We're really keen to design products with a high emotional value. We're aiming for impulse purchases, even if the products aren't delivered in 24 hours,' said Samson. The group has 80 employees, including 30 in the local factory producing sustainable apparel, and is pioneering the introduction of environmental labelling, having taken part in its trial. 'The [eco-score] labelling is very complicated for consumers,' said Samson, who believes that sourcing natural recyclable fabrics optimised for this kind of labelling is problematic. 'There is no cotton, and not enough quality wool in France, so we import from Italy, knowing that 70% of that wool comes from New Zealand. Conversely, there are polyester fabrics that have travelled for 8,000 km but have been produced we know not how, while in France we have a statutory minimum wage. I think we'd have had less difficulty making consumers understand this kind of criterion."
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Solfin crosses a key milestone by disbursing over Rs 100 crore in solar loans in less than a year
Solfin , a technology-first platform focused on renewable energy finance and backed by its own nonbanking financial company (NBFC), has crossed a key milestone by disbursing over Rs 100 crore in solar loans within just nine months of operations. This comes on the back of a Rs 100 crore investment from Waaree Sustainable Finance Pvt. Ltd. , part of the Waaree Group. India's solar sector is undergoing a rapid shift, propelled by bold government targets and strong policy support. In 2024, the country's total installed solar capacity reached 97.9 gigawatts, with a record 24.5 gigawatts added in a single year—more than double the growth seen in the previous year. The sharp rise in demand highlights a need for agile, technology-enabled finance solutions—an area where Solfin is well positioned to lead. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Air conditioners without external unit. (click to see prices) Air Condition | Search Ads Search Now Undo The company's digital lending platform simplifies the financing process through online approvals, faster disbursements and customised loan products built for residential rooftops, housing societies and commercial and industrial (C and I) projects. The company has already provided financing across segments such as supply chain, residential rooftop and C and I, enabling wider adoption of clean energy and advancing climate resilience. Live Events "Reaching Rs 100 crore in disbursements so quickly reflects the strong appetite for trusted solar finance and the confidence our customers have in us," said Gautam Kaushik , Co-founder of Solfin. "Our partnership with Waaree brings not just capital but also strategic clarity as we scale our mission to broaden access to clean energy financing in India." Solfin is in early discussions with selected venture capital and institutional investors who align with its long-term vision in climate technology, financial technology and sustainable infrastructure. The capital raised will support geographic expansion, development of new green finance offerings, technology upgrades and entry into related sectors such as electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems. Founded by two senior Amex executives,Gautam Kaushik and Pramod Mahanta, Solfin is building a distributed green asset delivery and finance platform with its own NBFC. Its primary focus remains on supporting sustainable infrastructure, especially solar energy . Solfin's rapid deployment of Rs 100 crore in under a year reinforces the case for fast and digital finance solutions. As the nation accelerates its clean energy ambitions, Solfin is poised to be a central force in shaping the future of green energy financing. Backed by Waaree Sustainable Finance, Solfin began operations in August 2024 after receiving RBI approval.
