Cacharel was created in 1962 by Jean Bousquet (homme politique) [fr], in Nîmes, who founded the company of the same name in 1964. Cacharel is named after the local name of the garganey (Anas querquedula, a small duck) in the Camargue (cacharel, standard French sarcelle d'été).

Jean Bousquet was the son of a sewing machine salesman; he was immersed in the world of clothes-making since childhood. He trained to be a tailor at a technical college and worked for two years as a designer before returning to Paris to found his own fashion house in Le Marais. The success of his first collection inspired him to create Cacharel.

Cacharel designs are characteristic for their youthful style, femininity, lightness, refinement and use of bright colours. The presentation of the first blouse collection in Paris brought attention for its cheerfulness and the modern vision of women that it represented. The introduction of the seersucker blouse and a front cover in ELLE magazine in 1963 launched Cacharel onto the international stage.