Avesnières Fabrics, visit to an emblematic manufacturer of French furnishing fabrics

How are upholstery fabrics made? Where are they made? What are they made of?

To answer all these questions, we went to meet the Tissus d’Avesnières teams. A renowned textile finisher since 1881 , this textile manufacturer prepares, dyes, prints and finishes furnishing fabrics, table linens and textiles intended for leather goods.

Photo: framed prints on cotton canvas

Serving designers of furnishing fabrics such as Pierre Frey (France), Colefax & Fowler (United Kingdom) and Charles Burger (France), this jewel of French heritage opened its doors to us to discover its know-how .

The factory works mainly with cotton or linen fabrics woven in France. After receiving the canvases, they are washed then primed before being printed.

Firstly, we must develop the drawings which will then be transposed onto the computer. There are two printing techniques :

• Frame printing : the technique consists of injecting ink into a frame which will be applied to the fabric. The operation will have to be repeated for each color and duplicated according to the fabric footage.

• Digital printing : in this case the ink is printed digitally on the same principle as a conventional paper printer.

Frame printing is recommended for seat fabrics while digital printing is preferred for curtains or household linen.

Historically, textile factories were built near a river because textile production required a lot of water. This is the case of the Jouy factory which is located next to a river, the Bièvre, or that of Toiles de Mayenne located on the banks of the Mayenne, in the West of France.

Mainly made of cotton or linen, printed canvases may also contain more durable polyester. The pigments used for the designs are assembled directly on site in order to have the best possible control of colors.

All stages of making Avesnières Fabrics are carried out in France : from the study of the design to the choice of supports to frame or digital printing. Each stage of creation benefits from scrupulous attention in order to produce exclusive fabrics while respecting centuries-old know-how.

Since its creation, the company has remained 100% family-owned. The tradition of printing is perpetuated while very actively following the latest technical developments.

At Le Lissier , we repurpose abandoned furnishing fabrics to create limited edition sneakers. We choose our fabrics in France in a responsible approach. We do not produce new textiles but we are passionate about the history, the past and the manufacturing of these exceptional fabrics. We upcycle heritage fabrics to enhance your daily life. These recycled fabrics become ready-to-wear heirloom fragments.

We defend local production in a short circuit, a vector of sustainable development, but also French and European craftsmanship . The French furnishing textile industry remains a living heritage that we love to rediscover and that we take pleasure in sharing with you thanks to our sneakers.