PRODUCTION
HAE started in 2006 with wool, a crochet hook, and a handmade beanie.
Twenty years later, selected HAE products are still handcrafted in Valais. Today, the majority of our collection is produced together with long-standing manufacturing partners in Europe.
What hasn't changed: We want to make products that work, are enjoyable to wear, and accompany you for as long as possible.
HANDMADE IN VALAIS - SWITZERLAND.
This is where it all began.
In 2006, Mat crocheted his first beanie himself. Friends wanted one too, and soon people around us were helping out. From yarn, a crochet hook, and a simple idea, HAE was born.
Twenty years later, work is still done by hand in our workshop in Visp.
For our handmade products, we have yarn specially produced in Northern Italy, just a few "airline kilometers" from our workshop on the Italian side of the Alps. From this, beanies and accessories are created, piece by piece, handmade. You can find out who made your product on the hangtag.
And sometimes, handmade starts with something that has already lived another life. For our Second Line, we transform old and discarded climbing ropes into new products, giving material that can no longer be used on the mountain a new purpose.
For us, therefore, handmade means more than just a production method. It means doing it yourself, passing on knowledge, re-thinking existing materials, and creating things that last.
Did you know? With our Handmade Box, you can even crochet your own HAE Beanie. Yarn, crochet hook, and instructions are included. Handmade from wherever you are.
Second Line long keychain
Climbing rope key ring
Second Line Cap
Climbing rope belt
Second Line Gear Loop
MADE IN EUROPE.
With HAE, our production has also grown.
Since 2016, we have been working with Mateusz and his family in Poland. Their company started similarly to HAE: with hand-crocheted beanies and headbands. Today, they use modern knitting machines to produce larger quantities and, together with us, develop materials, constructions, and new solutions for our products.
We produce our textiles with partners in northern Portugal, a region with a long tradition in textile manufacturing. For our textiles, we use 100% organic cotton.
Our goal is not to produce as far away or as cheaply as possible. We want to work with people who understand their craft and with whom we can develop products over many years.
Thus, many HAE products are now made in Europe, yet they remain closely connected to what started it all in Valais: developing things together, experimenting, and constantly improving them.
