THE CHICAMA ADVENTURE
Chicama is the name Robin Jouanicou chose when he founded his company in the Landes region of France. The story began at university in Bordeaux, where he met Daniel — a Peruvian student living in exile during the turbulent years of the Shining Path. Daniel spoke passionately about his homeland… and about Chicama, a small fishing village facing the longest left-breaking wave in the world.
For Robin — a surfer and a traveler at heart — the call was irresistible.
He left for three weeks and stayed for six months.
There, he discovered vicuña, alpaca, and pima cotton — extraordinary natural fibers with unmatched softness. He immediately saw an opportunity. In France, cashmere was only beginning to gain popularity, and organic cotton was still far from mainstream.
Robin then applied his surfer’s philosophy to entrepreneurship:
“Sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time — and you catch the perfect wave.”
His first perfect wave arrived in Paris. A buyer at Le Bon Marché — one of the most prestigious department stores — instantly recognized the quality of the pieces Robin brought back. The very first collection sold out.
From the beginning, Robin worked closely with an artisanal workshop run by Maritza — daughter of Señor Mario, who had sold him his first alpaca sweaters. Every finish was made by hand, preserving local skills and craftsmanship.
“We work with the finest materials and the most skilled artisans. In Peru, many people live with very little — our goal is to ensure fair wages and dignified working conditions. All our artisans are formally employed and have access to social protection.”
Today — almost thirty years later — Chicama remains true to this original commitment:
crafting authentic, high-quality textiles based on respect for people and the planet.
ALPACA WOOL
OUR MATERIALS
In Inca times, the alpaca was considered a sacred animal — its fleece reserved exclusively for royal garments.
It is in the extreme conditions of the Andes, where temperatures can swing from -30°C to +20°C within a single day, that the alpaca has developed a fiber of rare and extraordinary properties — naturally hypoallergenic and exceptionally soft.
This softness comes from the careful hand-selection of the finest and most noble fibers, measuring between 18 and 25 microns.
Alpaca fleece is composed of microscopic air pockets that provide remarkable thermal insulation, keeping the body warm and dry — even in light rain.
A noble material, preserved through ancestral techniques, and enhanced with dyes that respect both the skin and the environment.
Nicknamed “the silk of South America,” Pima cotton is considered the finest cotton in the world, originating from Peru. It is there — and only in very limited quantities — that the most exceptional varieties grow, those with extra-long staple fibers.
A rich soil, tropical sun, and pure water flowing down from the Andes:
these natural conditions give Peruvian Pima cotton its unique quality and rarity.
While conventional cotton farming is among the most polluting in the world, the organic Pima cotton used by Chicama is cultivated without pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides, protecting both the environment and the health of farming communities.
The cotton is also harvested by hand, preserving the integrity of the fibers and ensuring a product that is as gentle on the planet as it is on the skin — from those who grow it to those who wear it.
PIMA COTTON
