Naturally friendly environment, flax fibre has been stealing the spotlight by the organic cotton and bamboo. Noble fibre by excellence, flax was trivialized by productions from China whose quality is not always at the height. Fiber niche that lends itself to the innovation and creative blends, flax remains marked an old-fashioned image. The one attached to the memory of the rich outfits embroidered of our grandmothers. As also of these little practical beiges or uniformly white fabrics because froissables, heavy and reserved for the summer wardrobe... This paradoxical observation is that of the whole of the European departmental sector. Known by his "masters of linen" label and United consumers in Confederation European flax and hemp (CELC), its operators from Normandy and Flanders farmers to the Belgian and Italian weavers have decided to take the bull by the horns to communicate more with the public.
A challenge particularly heavy in France. Leading European producer, it has less well known that the Italy to be counsel for the modernity of this fibre, both in fashion and decoration or furnishings. What makes all the more sassy Safilin initiative, the oldest French spinning (its letters patent dates back to 1778), launched in association with several linières cooperatives, a fashion brand. Icona Vera, it is his name (in latin "true image"), is both contemporary and faithful to the legacy of the Millennium of the same that dressed the Persians and Egyptians. Installed 16, boulevard Raspail in Paris, his shop offers to both sexes of respecting clothes the signature of the duo Lefranc Ferrant who designs them to defeat our a priori on the linen. Associated with the cashmere or wool, is soft and warm for the winter, the silk and Lurex, it becomes valuable and portable at night. Mixed with polyamide, he acquired the déperlante of a rain fabric quality. "Our goal is to restore its place in the universe of luxury in the same way as cashmere or silk flax", says the Chair of Vera Icona, Frédéric Gomez, who, before embarking on this adventure, headed the Japanese subsidiary to Auchan.
For Christian Mekerke, the pattern of Safilin, the creation of this high range showcase was required: "flax is sold well when it is expensive," said. Still based in Armentières, but with a tool of production delocalised into Poland to withstand the competition from China, Safilin is not rest there. To the great Italian weavers of cashmere and wool, Christian Mekerke explains that the flax is an ideal complement to their offer of winter. His dream: convince Lacoste to adopt knitting its shirts, which would open him big mesh and sportswear, segment of the most dynamic clothing market.
China, first customer
Equipped with a power of absorption of moisture in cotton, flax was slowed in its ambitions by the difficulty of its weaving, because it is not elastic. But the technique is progressing and European flax is characterized by its quality and its richness in fiber long, more easy to work as can be also added to the Lycra. Another asset: its strength demonstrated by the test of the shirt. After 50 washes, a cotton shirt suffers and loses her dress, must be more than double for flax. Not to mention a unique rendering of colors, originally its success in recent summer fashion. And in the world of decoration, where he was able to maintain its qualitative and noble image.
In total, between 2003 and 2007, wireless world production rose by 60 to 125.000 tons (), indicates Giancarlo inlining, the pattern of the Linificio Canapificio Nazionale company, a subsidiary of the Marzotto group. This growth is largely attributable to the major distributors who make their clothing in China. World number one for the production of yarn, the Middle Kingdom became the first customer of the fibre produced in Europe. "We have benefited from this large volume effect but the quality was not always followed with negative effects for our image," recognizes Bertrand Coulier, the Director of the Coopérative du Neubourg in Eure.
The bet of the BRICs
For purposes of niche it represents 0.3 of consumed fibres in the world, compared to the 40 cotton flax found its first outlet in the United States (37), followed by the European Union (32), where the Italy accounts for any one half of the consumption and carries out almost two thirds of the transformation. Climate humid and warm, the Japan country ranks immediately behind (7). But the future is increasingly played with classes average and affluent of the emerging countries, Russia, India, China, and especially Brazil. It is the bet of the French producer Vivalin, which recently revived the Group Brasperola, a large operator present in spinning, weaving and ennobling. "We will open up to European raw material market of Latin America", welcomes its Director General, Marc Depestele.
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