MIKI DOCKER HAT ARTISANAL WOOL FELT GREY

I’m Amélie Le Roux, and I founded Béton Ciré at the end of 2013.

The idea came quite simply. I used to visit my grandfather in Quimper often, and he always wore a Breton miki. I really liked its shape — clean, direct, almost obvious. I started wearing it myself and never really took it off.

At that time, I was constantly moving between Brittany and Paris. I spent time in the Gulf of Morbihan, sailing or walking along the coast, then coming back to the city with my miki — often paired with a yellow raincoat. In Paris, it didn’t go unnoticed. There was something different about it, a silhouette that stood apart, but above all a piece that sat perfectly on the head, with a real presence — something you don’t get from a regular beanie.

At first, people didn’t quite know what to call it. They often referred to it as a “cap without a brim.” It made me smile, but it said something. Originally, the miki is a technical piece: no brim to avoid catching the wind, cut above the ears to stay fully aware while sailing, and adjustable to fit securely. It was designed to be useful before being aesthetic — and I’ve always kept that level of technical demand in the way I develop my products.

I was already working in fashion at the time, and I could see styles evolving. Beanies were getting shorter, worn above the ears. There was a growing desire for something more raw, more authentic. The miki naturally fit into that shift, with a strong identity — more defined, more precise than a simple beanie.

So I went for it. I reworked the shape, refined the proportions so it would sit better, feel more balanced. I sourced materials locally, developed color ranges, and paid close attention to finishes and details. The idea was to create something I genuinely wanted to wear every day, summer and winter, and that people around me could easily make their own — whether in Paris or in Brittany. A piece that lasts, keeps its shape, and whose quality you feel as soon as you put it on.

The name Béton Ciré came quite naturally. “Béton” refers to the city, to the urban environment I live in and draw inspiration from every day. “Ciré” refers to Brittany, to the yellow raincoats of fishermen. It’s a simple nod to both worlds that are part of me and that I wanted to bring together.

At the beginning, it grew quite organically. Very quickly, the piece started to circulate. Not through strategy, but because people wore it. It found its way onto the heads of those who have an eye — actors, musicians, artisans, baristas, photographers, designers. People who care about proportions, materials, and how a piece sits and evolves over time — and who immediately recognize when something is well made. A kind of instinctive community formed around it, loyal, drawn to well-crafted objects with character.

Today, the brand has evolved, with new models and materials, but the idea remains the same. To create pieces that feel right, that last, and that you choose deliberately — because they bring something, not by chance.