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BEBHINN MARTEN LAUNCHES NEW BEACON COLLECTION NAUTIQUE

‘Collection Nautique’ is the name given to a new range of knitwear that has just been launched by renowned knitwear designer Bebhinn Marten.

Produced under the ‘BEACON’ label and manufactured at her Knitwear enterprise in West Cork, Collection Nautique is a well-crafted range of quality garments designed for those who enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle.

From her picturesque studio and workshop setting overlooking the Atlantic and nearby Baltimore Harbour estuary, Bebhinn Marten and her talented team at Beacon Knitwear have produced a range that wholly reflects Bebhinn’s own concept of product quality, colour and styling.

Complementing her very successful sailing sweaters of the 1970, which are still being in Baltimore, ‘Collection Nautique’ features shapes and yarns that combine to provide comfort, warmth and style.

Aimed at the fashion conscious lovers of all things nautical, both male and female, the all-wool ‘Collection Nautique’ uses yarns, textures and styling to capture the strong marine and coastal influences that surround the region in which they are produced,

Inspired by the seascapes of West Cork, colours that make up the ‘Collection Nautique’ include the rock greys and rich aquatic blues of the Irish coastline together with the soft brown of boat sails and green of cliffs bathed in soft surf.

Commenting, Bebhinn Marten said that ‘in designing our new ‘Collection Nautique’ we have produced a range aimed in equal measure at the heavy-duty yachting fraternity and Sunday afternoon pleasure boater, as well as those who go to sea to work or rescue others

‘Combining all of the texture, colours and long-lasting qualities that appeal to seagoing folk, ‘Collection Nautique’ is a wholly Irish produced range of international standard in terms of quality and finish’ she said.

Bebhinn Marten Knitwear has been operating in Baltimore for over 30 years. Furnished with the very latest computer-aided electronic knitting equipment, the company also employs fine hand-craft techniques in order to infuse their garments with the complex features and finish that are the hallmarks of every Beacon Knitwear Product.

Bebhinn Marten started Beacon designs in Baltimore, West Cork, in the early 70’s making sailing sweaters for the local market-the original garment is still in production-and the company was formed in 1976.Early efforts were to give design and colour to durable, warm, and serviceable "out-door" knitwear and over the years "Beacon" jumpers were much in evidence at sailing events from Crookhaven to Cowes. The durability of the garments-though a major selling point-had a downside: a lack of repeat business as customers grew attached to their jumpers and tended to want to have them repaired rather than renewed!

Hence, Bebhinn turned her talent for colour to the fashion side of knitwear, ultimately bring in a totally new label (the Fuchsia) and using her owe name. With this there came a move to new technology and to run the technical side Bebhinn was joined by her eldest son, Olan, a Leicester trained knitwear design technician. Luckily, the present factory, built in 1982, was designed specifically to be easy to expand as most recent years have seen expansion at its beautiful site on the shores of Baltimore harbour where the first jumpers were inspired.