Manufacture textile des Vosges
Since 1839
Guillaume Kohler

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"Our job is to cross wires".

For six generations, the Kohler family has perfected the now rare skill of textile weaving. Today, this craft is at the service of an audacious young textile designer who wants to restore the prestige of textiles made in France.

Guillaume Kohler is one of those daring young French entrepreneurs who have always put a smile on the faces of the most cautious, and without whom nothing would ever get off the ground. More precisely, there are two of them to make up this definition: together with Anne Orivel, they set off again in March 2015 on the foundations of K.industrie and launched themselves as a S.C.O.P under the banner of La Manufacture Textile des Vosges.

With a dozen employees and the strength of their convictions, they are determined to give a new lease of life to weaving, a branch of the textile industry that, like the rest of the French textile industry, is largely losing ground.

Whether it's printing or garment manufacturing, the factories whose machines are running today are almost resilient. Guillaume Kohler has it in his blood. In 1839, his Alsatian ancestor set up his workshop in Ferdrupt, in the heart of the Vosges, a textile region par excellence, before expanding to 160 employees in the 1990s. The company has kept pace with the times, adapting to changing times, difficulties and opportunities.

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Guillaume Kohler's ancestral know-how and dynamism are still alive and well today, as he deals with the situation, needs and resources that have evolved over the years.

That's why Manufacture Terre Textile is a genuine creation, using current elements to meet current demands. The machines produce unbleached fabrics for finishing, and even printing for some, notably for top-of-the-range bed linen brands; dyed wovens and finished products with high added value, namely technical textiles.

"Over the years, we've acquired a know-how, a way of working, a French approach to fabric, which today rhymes with the very high quality sought through our fabrics."

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Young designers or the future of French textiles

New brands are arriving with a commitment to 100% Made in France. From the point of view of textile artisans, this is what will give new impetus to the textile industry in France. As Guillaume Kohler observes, "the sector needs to restructure, but to do so they need to find the right positioning. And that means creativity.

Weaving, like the other trades involved in the manufacture of top-of-the-range bed linen, has been suffering for many years from the fact that quality has been neglected to the detriment of costs. In the end, this is to the detriment of the consumer, who can no longer find genuine quality or brands that fully satisfy the ever-growing desire to consume locally. A process that has already begun in the food sector, and is now turning its attention to textiles and the standards surrounding their manufacturing processes.

The arrival of young designers like Julie Lavarière, who no longer wish to work in quantity, but in high quality, for a public of discerning, responsible consumers, for whom 100% Made in France is a real choice. An ethical, top-of-the-range proposal of products entirely thought out, designed, woven, printed and made in France.

Highly technical linens made in France

In a vast factory, with yarn winding on one side, and looms on the other, interweaving cotton, cotton blend and linen yarns at phenomenal speed, a wide range of possibilities are realized here. Fabrics of all different qualities, in varying technicalities, for diverse and varied uses.

One of the finest creations of these machines is percale. And of all the percale weights available, percale 300 is the highest quality. With 120 threads per square centimeter, it's also the most technical.

Sleeping in percale is a beautiful experience, it's above all a sensation, "you slip into your sheets"...

"Percale is a unique experience," confides Guillaume Kohler. "The fabric has a crispness that can't be found in any other textile. With percale 300 we're at the pinnacle of the experience, the impression of a real cocoon."

What's more, this fabric is highly technical. With 120 crossed threads, they are initially very fine. Since there are so many of them, they create numerous spaces as they weave. Cotton 300 percale is therefore naturally highly breathable, allowing air to circulate. The sheet is never oppressive.

A rare fabric, which Manufacture Textile des Vosges is the only one to manufacture in France. Julie Lavarière takes you a step further, being the only brand to print it, and with her unique creations.