“They can be worn 50 times”: Cygnes, the French and durable tights are attracting more and more people

What do the candidates for the Miss France competition and the macaron sellers of a famous Parisian pastry shop have in common? They wear tights reputed to be “ultra-resistant” and made in France from the Cygnes brand. Little known to the general public, much more to professionals, the company based in Reims is an authentic success story.

Cygnes was only founded in April 2021 by Inès Saadallah and Axel Delannoy who had the good idea of ​​diverting a fiber used in climbing equipment to make “durable” tights, to be worn several winters. Tights that resist time are the promise of the house, while 70% of tights do not last more than five uses.

Sales doubled in one year

Fifteen months of research were necessary to develop this thread, “twice as resistant” as traditional thread. Inès and Axel invested all their savings in the project, an initial investment of 15,000 euros. Five years later, the success exceeds the expectations of the two thirty-somethings.

Between 2024 and 2025, sales literally doubled from 50,000 to 100,000 pairs. The “sustainable” tights made in France, with a white swan embroidered at the waist, have found their audience and are even attracting major French luxury brands. “All the sales teams of a century-old pastry shop, which has 120 stores around the world, are equipped with our tights, it’s a way of reducing their carbon footprint and lowering their costs,” reveals Axel Delannoy.

Other contracts have been signed or under study in the luxury hotel industry and with airlines. A large champagne house in Reims is currently testing Swan tights on its cellar staff. “We would like to recruit a sales representative but today our priority is production. We are out of stock on many products. It’s hard to find partners who do everything from A to Z in France. »

Cygnes offers a range of three tights available in several patterns and colors. Each pair is sold online for around thirty euros compared to 5 to 8 euros for standard tights purchased in supermarkets. “But each of these tights can be worn 40 or 50 times, so several winters,” assures Inès Saadallah.

Already profitable, the Reims start-up has a turnover of more than 5 million euros. It has a network of 70 independent resellers but dreams of attracting individuals by developing its own stores in France. During the holidays, Cygnes opened a first pop-up store in the Erlon gallery in Reims.

“This reinforces our idea of ​​developing our presence in physics, because in France you should know that 80% of tights are purchased in physics,” underlines the co-founder of Cygnes. Faced with giants like Dim or Calzedonia, its ambition is to “become the European leader in sustainable tights”.