Cocoonu » George Smith

CocoonU Boutique in Pictures

helen — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:39:09 +0000

The CocoonU Boutique

In November 2009 CocoonU opened their first boutique in Harrogate, enabling customers to see and feel for themselves the beauty and softness of our cashmere and view our first organic skincare and jewellery ranges..

A hidden gem waiting to be discovered, the boutique presents an opportunity for bespoke shopping at its best. The boutique is based in the chic Harrogate Montpellier Quarter, itsâ€™ light and stylish design showcasing the full cashmere range perfectly….

…. fringed with fabulous jewellery and our organic skincare products

The finishing touch is a framework of furniture, artworkÂ and shop accessories from George Smith

Come and see us for a unique shopping experience
Open Tuesday to Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM COCOONU!

helen — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:35:57 +0000

CocoonU would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas andÂ a peaceful and prosperous New Year

To make you smile as the year draws to a close, let me introduce you to Jake, shown above with CocoonUâ€™s MD,Vanessa Streeton.Â The most human of Parsons Terriers and with the ability to identity his favourite cashmere pieces with a hard stare and wag of tail, he guards Vanessa fiercely, but once given the seal ofÂ approval will provide you with hours of entertainment.Â Jake is frequently in attendance at Company meetings and woe betide you if you leave your office space for too longâ€¦ on return, you may find a paw on your laptop and a pair of large brown eyes beseeching you to let him sit behind you and observe the process of beautiful, ethical cashmere being brought to the retail marketplace.

CocoonU is a company of great character, creativity, fun and determination – born out of passion for retailing products of sheer beauty and outstanding quality and centred on principles of sourcingÂ ethically, allowing customers to shop with a clear conscience and enjoy their purchases for a lifetime.

This has been a year of great progress and Vanessa turning 40 in the early stages of developing a new business is inspiring some of you sat in long term, soul crushing occupations to know that there are infinite possibilities for all ages, in all market conditions, to make a go of something you feel passionately about.Â We know this from the response followingÂ the feature on Vanessa and CocoonU in the November issue of Woman & Home.Â Finishing the year by opening Â a luxury boutique after long months of recession, is pretty amazing.

It is good to look forward to a new year that holds lots of exciting possibilities.Â It will be the third year of trading for CocoonU. We hope the shop will continue to go from strength to strength and will be actively searching for re-sellers across the UK (and worldwide – already available via George Smith internationally).Â Please contact us if you think your organisation may be the right one for our collections.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE NEW YEAR

GREAT REACTION TO NEW COCOONU BOUTIQUE!

helen — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:38:26 +0000

In its’ third week of trading, the CocoonU boutique is creating a massive amount of interest from shoppers in Harrogate. Vanessa reports aÂ huge postive reaction from customers – first as they enter the door and see the chic, stunning interior and then as they see, feel and try on exquisite cashmere with an individuality, quality and design that cannot be found anywhere else.Â Pictures coming soon…

Our organic bath and body range is also expanding and proving very popular for Christmas.

You will also find beautiful pieces from George Smith furniture and fabrics within the boutique – on display and available for purchase – including artwork, hand made mirrors and select furniture.

If you are fed up of mainstream retail, come and see us Tuesday to Saturday at 5 Montpellier Mews, Harrogate, HG1 2TQ for an unforgettable shopping experience….

For added fun remember this coming Thursday 12th December the whole Montpellier Quarter will be celebrating Christmas with a fantastic, special evening. All shops are open until 8 pm, Santa will be in his grotto right outside CocoonU and there will hog roast, mulled wine and much more….

‘We Make a Living From Luxury’, CocoonU features in Woman and Home

jessica — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:12:34 +0000

Woman and Home New Directions feature CocoonU

Vanessa Streeton, founder of CocoonU features in the October Issue of Woman and Home. Here’s the article for our online followers

“I WANTED BEAUTIFUL CASHMERE PRODUCTS

THAT WERE TOTALLY ETHICAL”

Vanessa Streeton. Founder of CocoonU.com

Old Job : Business Development Consultant

New Job : Founder of CocoonU (cocoonu.com), which sells ethical and eco cashmere and skin-care products

“I first heard about Mongolian cashmere from a boyfriend, who has seen it on his travels and suggested i do something with it

I did some research and discovered that 70% of the world’s cashmere comes from China, where goats are artifically fed, living on top of each other and turning the land into dust bowls. In Mongolia, however, herders move the goats to different pastures every few weeks, while the extreme winters create the fine cashmere on the goat’s belly.

I emailed the director of the factory in Mongolia and, when he came to meet me, i felt the cashmere and was smitten. It was infinitely softer than the mass-produced stuff. And, as the factory workers work eight hours a day and have equal pay, i saw a niche market for brining in an ethical, sustainable yet beautiful product that people would feel good about buying.

So i designed some jumpers, a polo and a v-neck – based on a classic jumper i had in my wardrobe, with a few added touches – and sent them to the factory. I then paid a web company to set up an ecommerce website on which to sell them. They sold really well, but i realised you need a massive outlay to sell sized products, so i focused on accessories, such as shawls, scarves, hats and socks instead. Then i designed a home collection of cushion covers and throws.

I thought that my throws and shawls would make the perfect corporate gifts, so i made a list of yachting, motor and private aviation companies, along with top hotels and high end shops, to target. Six months after i started, i won a contract to be a gift supplier for a private jet-hire company. We supply everything from golf sweaters to shawls, and they buy scarves and hats for private skiing and shooting events they run.

CocoonU feature in the Quintessentially Living coffee table book

I also work with Quintessentially, a high-end concierge service. If one of their clients needs a gift for someone, we’re one of the companies they call. We are also in their Living coffee table book, which goes out to spas, hotels and homes across the world. I met their sales and marketing director at a party – so these things do happen!

We’ve just won a contract with George Smith, the high-end furniture company, and have just launched CocoonU for George Smith – a range of cushion covers and sofa throws that will be sold in their stores worldwide. The New York launch is next month, which is very exciting.

I was on the cusp of a Â£1.8 million deal with a luxury car company. But, a weekbefore Christmas, they cancelled due to the recession. Still, i have to pat myself on the back for getting that far.

In the next month few months we are launching organic skin-care products, plus a range of floppy beanie hats, hug scarves and ski gloves aimed at a younger market. We’ll also be opening our first shop in Harrogate, as i want people to come in and feel and smell how wonderful our products are.

I haven’t taken out loans, as i plough my earning back into the company, and have only just started to pay myself. Our turnover is increasing, though, so i’ll soon earn what i used to. I have two part time staff: one deals with finance, the other with marketing and trade shows, plus two consultants, who deal with my website and online marketing.

Staying with the luxury industry saved my company. If i’d gone mainstream, i would have gone bust because of high-street retailers selling cashmere jumpers for Â£20. But i love my job and i love that i’m selling something that’s unique and ethical too”

Thanks to Woman and Home for our feature.

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CocoonU are creating a brand in the current recession. CocoonU are unique, high quality and our products have a fanstasic story. We are sending a true mesaage to the consumer about ingredients and products. These products can only be bought via CocoonU, making it an individual product as well as a feel good product.

Ask yourself, how many people know where their products come from? answers on a blog

George Smith and CocoonU announce new partnership

jessica — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:24:33 +0000

George Smith and CocoonU

luxury with a clear conscience