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Spiridon, rebirth of a legendary running brand with an online sales strategy

For running enthusiasts, Spiridon is the quintessence of the libertarian spirit offered by this sport. Born in the 1970s in the form of a magazine and the impetus of the Swiss Noël Tamini, this brand is reborn thanks to the tenacity of Franck Tuil. This French entrepreneur whose professional career has taken him through entertainment (Warner), fashion (Comme des Garçons) and digital (Alchimie) is relaunching a line of clothing directly inspired by the graphics of the time.

“In 2016, I saw the documentary 'Free to Run' and like many, I was struck by the key role of Spiridon in the evolution of running , says Franck Tuil. At the time, I did not find myself in the brands that positioned themselves in this discipline, and as soon as I had time, I embarked on the project of reviving this brand. When he begins to work on the subject, he first decides to follow the ecological logic to the end. All of the “lifestyle” or “technical” clothing created will be made in Europe. “We are going so far as to use yarn made in northern Italy from the recycling of plastic bottles ,” explains the entrepreneur. Our entire process must be transparent, which is one of the arguments that convinced Noël Tamini to allow us to use the brand. »

Thirty references

To begin with, Spiridon is working on around thirty references (t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc.), eight of which are already on pre-order. The young shoot favors the direct sales channel, according to the now well-defined mode of brands born on the Internet (“digital native vertical brand”). But it still distributes a few pieces in dribs and drabs in around ten concept stores, without wanting to make this a more important mode of distribution in the future.

To get started, the start-up is relying on bpifrance (50,000 euros loan) and business angels, including Catherine Barba, for 75,000 euros, and estimates that it will still be able to raise 100,000 in the very next few months, specifies Franck Tuil. “This method of financing is classic for starting a business like ours, and I plan to open up the capital in 2021. But for the moment, that is enough for us to launch the first collection, the first pieces of which should be delivered next November. »

For the moment, Spiridon plays on rarity and already warns that certain items will only be available up to 200 copies. A way also to control its need for working capital which can be critical in this sector. And to test the appetite of the 25 million French people who go out to run at least once a month. — GB