Les Teintures de France, innovation in color

Directed by Serge Haouzi, surrounded by his family and his partner Thierry Azerad, the company has undergone significant development in recent years, while retaining its artisanal approach. Between exacting design standards, technical innovation and support for young designers, Les Teintures de France illustrates a constantly evolving savoir-faire at the service of contemporary design.

Time for savoir-faire

Les Teintures de France defines itself first and foremost as a family-run, artisanal dyeing process, capable of working on a wide variety of materials. From cotton to silk, polyester, wool and accessories, the workshop boasts a comprehensive mastery of textile transformation. "We are able to dye everything, all materials and on all garments and components (buttons, zips, cords, laces)... EVERYTHING!", expresses Serge Haouzi.

Before the dyeing stage, materials are carefully prepared, cleaned and analyzed. Each textile requires a specific protocol, both in the choice of pigments and in the techniques and machines to be used. Part of the work remains deliberately manual, notably to guarantee color precision and high quality of execution, as the manager explains "we've kept an ancestral part for around 30% of our dyeing processes, carried out by hand. Our dyers are extremely skilled and guarantee true chromatic fidelity".

At the heart of the workshop, 17 colorist dyers work by eye, gradually adjusting hues in successive stages. Each swimwear, each pigment addition involves a rinsing and drying cycle, in a process where precision takes precedence over speed. Indeed, he explains that "you have to go gradually with pigmentation because if you darken too quickly it's too late, you can't lighten anymore".

Advanced services combined with a sustainable commitment

While the artisanal gesture remains central, Les Teintures de France has invested heavily in innovative technologies to meet the contemporary challenges facing the industry, particularly in terms of environmental impact. "Of the 1,500 products we used in Dyeing processes, more than half were harmful. Now all but three are eco-responsible. We no longer have that strong, unpleasant smell in the workshop".

Moreover, one of the major investments involves the installation of a closed-circuit water treatment plant, enabling us to drastically reduce water consumption, historically one of the main items of expenditure and impact. In the same vein, the workshop is also exploring vegetable dyeing processes. While this approach is currently limited to capsules or small productions due to its cost and complexity, it reflects a desire to anticipate changes in the sector.

Alternative processes are being developed in parallel, notably for denim treatment. Garment washing techniques, for example, totally eliminate the use of water and chemicals in certain stages. "Before, we used machines with hundreds of liters of water and chemicals. Today, we have equipment that uses air to produce a gas called ozone, without using water or generating pollution", explains Serge Haouzi. This technology reproduces the effect of the sun on pigments and considerably reduces washing requirements, with water savings of up to 80%. Nevertheless, it coexists with more traditional techniques, such as stone, the use of pumice stone, still demanded by some Home.

Innovation doesn't stop there: laser engraving on textile or leather, digital printing, embroidery with real-time thread dyeing, 3D printing... The workshop is multiplying experiments to offer ever more complex and differentiating effects. "Our in-house designers are constantly looking for new effects, new techniques and properties of material and color. This enables us to offer customers exclusives or to respond even better technically to their creative desires", explains the executive.

A key partner in design, between urgency and transmission

The workshop works mainly for Haute Couture, show business, cinema and international clients. This diversity of projects, as evidenced by the partnership with the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games, is accompanied by a particularly fast pace, where responsiveness is essential: "we work mostly in a hurry. We get calls to deliver the next day, or even the very same day. Our teams know what to do!".

Beyond this operational requirement, Les Teintures de France maintains a close relationship with designers, both established and emerging. The workshop regularly collaborates with young designers and students, notably in partnership with the IFM, with a view to transmission and experimentation, but also with certain young recognized designers such as Weinsanto, Léa Mathonnière Fallot for Matho or Lora Sonney for Sonney. "Young designers come to the workshop, discover the techniques and it gives them new ideas. We can give them the keys to good work", he testifies. This immersion in the workshop not only gives them a better understanding of technical constraints, but also opens up a whole new world of possibilities for textile design. Some collaborations give rise to highly advanced developments, where the atelier becomes a genuine research partner.

However, Serge Haouzi emphasizes the training challenges facing the sector. The technically demanding dyeing profession today attracts fewer young profiles, sometimes forcing us to recruit internationally. An internal training project is planned to support the workshop's development. This development is akin to a broadening of its scope, with the ambition of becoming a global hub integrating dyeing processes, leather, upcycling and garment making. This development is part of a global vision of the professions, offering an increasingly comprehensive service, between heritage and innovation: "Honoring the past while embracing the future"

To find out more about Les Teintures de France, discover the company fact sheet.