NOT FROM PARIS Cotton Cap

Concept

“Every brand has a place it calls home, yet it sometimes seems as though every brand wishes it came from Paris, London, or Los Angeles.”

The history of the French tricolor dates back to the French Revolution. Its three colors—blue, white, and red—bring together the symbols of Paris and the traditional colors of the French monarchy, gradually becoming an emblem of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Throughout history, these three colors have also acquired different cultural meanings. Blue evokes the cloak of Saint Martin, white symbolizes the purity and conviction of Joan of Arc, while red is associated with the banner of Saint Denis, the patron saint of France.

Yet few people realize that this seemingly simple tricolor conceals a remarkably precise approach to visual design.

The three vertical stripes of the French naval ensign are not exactly equal in width. Instead, they follow a 30:33:37ratio.

Because white has a higher perceived brightness than the colors on either side, it can create an optical illusion that affects how we perceive their widths. By narrowing the blue stripe and widening the red stripe, the design achieves a more natural and visually balanced appearance.

The specifications of the French flag have also evolved throughout history. Today, the French national flag generally features three equally wide stripes, while the naval ensign retains these specially adjusted proportions.

Behind what appears to be an unquestionable classic, there are often details that go unnoticed.

This approach to design became one of the key inspirations behind this collection.

Typography

The handwritten lettering featured in this collection was personally drawn by the founder of CASHONLY.

Every detail—from the strokes and curves of each letter to the spacing and overall composition—was repeatedly refined to achieve a natural, fluid expression.

Our focus goes beyond whether the lettering looks good on its own. We also pay close attention to its visual proportions when applied to clothing.

Every stroke is considered to ensure that the lettering feels perfectly balanced when worn.

Screen Printing

This collection uses a specialized screen-printing technique involving multiple production processes.

All printed areas begin with a puff-printing agent as the base, followed by a surface layer of printing paste imported from Japan. The prints then undergo a finishing process involving high temperature and pressure.

To achieve the desired three-dimensional effect, we conducted repeated tests on temperature, pressure, and processing time, carefully controlling the expansion of the puff-printing agent.

This allows the prints to rise naturally from the fabric, creating a full, refined dimensional texture while preventing excessive expansion that could pull, wrinkle, shrink, or distort the fabric.

True attention to detail lies not only in the design you can see, but also in the dedication that often goes unnoticed.

Fabric & Color

For the print colors, we selected the internationally standardized PANTONE Reflex Blue, White, and 032 Red, drawing from the classic colors of the French tricolor to faithfully recreate its vivid and distinctive visual identity.

Heather Grey was also specially selected as the primary fabric color for this collection.

To accommodate the different functional requirements of each garment component, we combined soft, comfortable combed cotton with smooth, resilient knit fabric.

Even when working with different materials, we repeatedly compared their tones, shades, and textures to minimize visible color differences.

Our goal was to allow different fabrics to blend naturally within a single garment, balancing everyday comfort with a consistent overall appearance.

Brand Philosophy

One summer, the CASHONLY team traveled to France to participate in a fashion exhibition.

During that journey, we experienced firsthand the history, culture, and creative energy that had accumulated in the city. Its streets, architecture, and everyday atmosphere became valuable sources of inspiration.

Paris, London, Los Angeles.

For generations, these cities have represented stages that countless brands aspire to reach.

Many brands dream of making their mark in these places, earning international recognition, or even having their names associated with these cities.

We are no exception.

We, too, aspire to reach a larger stage, hoping that one day the work we create in Taiwan will be seen by the world.

Yet while pursuing recognition and success, we are even more determined not to lose sight of who we were when we began.

Our critical observations, our willingness to question established values, and the irony and humor woven into our designs have always been essential parts of CASHONLY's creative identity—principles we refuse to compromise.

We admire Paris, but we don't need to pretend we're from Paris.

We aspire to reach the world, but we don't need to change where we come from to belong in it.

This collection is both a tribute to classic cultural imagery and a reflection on certain assumptions deeply rooted in the fashion industry.

It can be a satire, a joke, or simply a joke we are playing on ourselves.

Because to CASHONLY, the value of a brand has never been determined by the city where it was born.

What matters is what it actually has to say.

Not from Paris.
And that's the point.

Copyright © 2015 CA$H ONLY. All Rights Reserved.