Textile du Maine: the highest standards of floutier savoir-faire
Textile du Maine has embodied the prestige of French savoir-faire since 1984. Founded by Sylvie Chailloux and now run by her son Nicolas Tréhard, this Pays de la Loire-based workshop specializes in high-end and luxury women's ready-to-wear, with a mastery of materials ranging from chiffon to jersey and leather, to create unique pieces in flou / soft dressmaking and ultra soft draping / flou.
This expertise, combined with a constant quest for quality and development, makes the company an essential reference for luxury Homes in the elaboration and garment making of complex pieces. Faithful to "Made in France", the workshop stands out for its savoir-faire in the precise handling of delicate materials, meeting the most demanding expectations of its prestigious customers.
A family history of passion and craftsmanship in the service of luxury
Sylvie Chailloux, founder of Textile du Maine, recounts: "I used to work in accounting before I got piqué knit into textile manufacturing. Designing a collection, making it and selling it was something that excited me". At the age of 25, she decided to set up her own workshop. Her first order was for jersey. It was an experience that shaped the company's DNA: the demand for quality. The early years were tumultuous, with the 1990s marked by the pressures of fast fashion, offshoring and crises that sometimes put the workshop to the test. "When you set up a business, you need a small dose of recklessness", she recounts with humor. Nevertheless, Sylvie Chailloux takes strong strategic decisions such as refocusing the business on luxury and made-in-France.
In 2008, Nicolas Tréhard joins the family business. Armed with skills in IT, logistics and management, he modernized the workshop by developing a Home ERP, optimizing production processes. Together, mother and threads weathered the economic crisis of 2008 and embarked on an ambitious transition: "in five years, we have become 100% luxury", stresses the manager, an evolution that has redefined the company's philosophy. Thanks to a high level of rigor, the workshop has won the trust of the most prestigious Homes: "they entrust us with complex VIP pieces, a sign that we've reached a milestone", testifies Sylvie Chailloux. Textile du Maine's artisanal approach is based on close proximity to its customers. "If customers come to us, it's because they expect our way of interpreting the design", explains Sylvie Chailloux, "we are their eyes in the workshop, constantly connected to their expectations".
With its 50 employees, the company cultivates a human scale, a deliberate choice that favors quality relationships and meticulous attention to detail. The particularly versatile teams benefit from a constant skills enhancement program, where passion and a taste for challenge are essential qualities required to join the workshop because "with us, there's nothing easy: we recruit people ready to take on challenges", she adds. "In 40 years, I've tried several times to diversify the business, but every time I strayed away from the product, it didn't work out. However, all the skills we've acquired as a result of our customers' requests and our different positioning means that today we're able to make fairly complete products calling on several different savoir-faire, and that's our strength", proudly expresses the founder.
Exceptional savoir-faire and valued technicality
At Textile du Maine, expertise goes beyond the role of contract manufacturer, since "beyond small and medium batch production, we have a highly developed product development unit with exponential possibilities", Nicolas Tréhard stresses. This department, headed by his wife, is a strategic pillar of the company. Thanks to tools such as 3D modeling, the teams can simulate volumes, optimize compression points on stretch parts, and reduce material consumption during the prototyping phases, while meeting the exacting expectations of luxury customers.
Digital tools, such as rear-projection-assisted cutting, enable extreme precision. A large fleet of over 200 specialized machines also testifies to this technical expertise. "When our teams have an idea, we work together to optimize it with the machine and exploit its full potential", explains Nicolas. The workshop's expertise stands out, for example, in working with cut-and-sew jersey, a demanding material. Thanks to complete mastery of stabilization via a steam decatizer, Textile du Maine carefully prepares fabrics to avoid any variation during the production stages. This level of precision guarantees impeccable results, meeting the high standards of luxury Homes.
Transmitting knowledge is also a central issue. Textile du Maine relies on an internal tutoring model to train its talents, and collaborates with the AICP to train its patternmakers. "The most advanced employees in production occupy transmission positions", explains the manager. The workshop can count on emblematic figures, such as a hand stitch expert now retired, who "can return regularly to support and train new recruits". This approach illustrates the importance of preserving and perpetuating valuable skills. Nicolas Tréhard explains: "To become a prototypist, you need between five and seven years' training in production, followed by a period working in tandem with an expert in the product development unit. This passage through production is an essential prerequisite".
A committed, forward-looking model
Textile du Maine incorporates Lean Management principles to optimize its processes and strengthen team cohesion. "We have shared indicators that improve the transmission of information and performance", explains Sylvie Chailloux. The 5S method makes product flow more fluid. The development of a traceability function from the roll of fabric to the finished product, via the ERP/MES developed with AriMode thanks to QR codes, illustrates the latest innovations undertaken.
The company's commitment is also reflected in investments in employee well-being. In 2021, particular attention has been paid to lighting in the workshops (LEDS and subjection to daylight) to improve working conditions, as well as tooling to limit musculoskeletal risks. "We've always invested a lot: I think that's where our wealth lies", stresses Sylvie Chailloux.
This philosophy is also reflected in the workshop's CSR approach. Textile du Maine has been awarded the "Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant" (EPV) label and is one of the pioneers of the "Les Ateliers Engagés" label, developed with the Groupement de la Fabrication Française (GFF). "The aim of this initiative, which has now become a label, was to identify our strengths and weaknesses in the field of eco-responsibility in order to improve and meet the expectations of Home", explains Sylvie Chailloux. A label close to the GOTS prerequisites for which the atelier is also certified.
Textile du Maine thus asserts itself as an ambassador of French luxury, combining artisanal savoir-faire, technical innovation and ethical commitment. "We're no longer just a production workshop: we sell unique French savoir-faire, a guarantee of quality for the Homes that place their trust in us", concludes Nicolas Tréhard.
To find out more, discover Textile du Maine's company fact sheet.
