Val d’Arizes: Keeping Pyrenean Textiles Alive

From receiving the spools of thread to shipping the finished pieces, everything is done in-house. From collection development and fabric production to garment making, finishing, and machine maintenance—this mastery of the entire production chain allows Val d'Arizes to preserve a level of savoir-faire that is becoming increasingly rare in the region.

Three generations dedicated to Pyrenean savoir-faire

At Val d'Arizes, it’s hard to separate the company from the family history that shaped it. Founded in 1978 by Romain Lopez’s grandfather, who was then a textile engineer at Comet, the company was later taken over by his grandmother, then by his father. “I can still picture myself as a little boy running around the workshop,” he recalls—a memory that perfectly captures his connection to this place. Today, between business development, production, and maintenance, he handles everything to keep the company running. 

In its early days, Val d’Arizes worked primarily as a subcontractor. The company’s own brand emerged later with the aim of showcasing savoir-faire that had long been at the service of other companies. Now, the company’s own collections account for nearly 60% of its business, while the workshop continues to produce for French and international brands such as Maison Solfin, Baserange, and Aspesi.

The product range has also expanded. While RWS-certified pure-wool robes remain an iconic piece, they are now joined by blazers, ponchos, sweaters, throws, blankets, and pants, as well as smaller items such as slippers, mittens, winter hats, and neck warmers, along with a small children’s line. “We’re trying to develop new designs and work with different types of wool while maintaining our identity,”, explains the CEO. Merino wool still dominates, but the company is also exploring blends with alpaca or mohair and is currently working on a collection made entirely from wool sourced from the Pyrenees, with the goal of offering a 100% local product.

From the spool of thread to the finished garment

The strength of this workshop lies in its mastery of the entire manufacturing process. It all begins with spools of thread, primarily supplied by Swiss and Austrian spinning mills and selected for their quality and traceability. The threads are first prepared on a warping machine before being set up on Rachel looms. Originally designed to make lace, these machines have been adapted by the company to produce this very distinctive fabric.

The secret of the famous Tissu des Pyrénées then lies in the scraping stage. Originally, this process was carried out using natural thistles, whose flexible tips gently lifted the wool fibers. The workshop still owns this historic machine, a testament to an ancestral process, but today, metal brushes perform this function. “We like to take the carding process all the way—that’s what gives it that typical shaggy look. The fibers intertwine naturally and retain more heat”, explains Romain Lopez. Working with wool cannot be improvised, and in the workshop, humidity is carefully monitored—it must remain between 55 and 60 percent. If it’s too dry, the fiber breaks. If it’s too humid, it no longer responds properly to carding and will lose its characteristic loft. In fact, “wool is a living material, and if conditions aren’t right, you don’t get the same finish or the same softness”, he explains.

Once the fabric is ready, it’s time for garment making. Cutting, assembly, and the application of braided trims, gimp trimmings, twists, fringes, or cords—all these finishing touches are done in-house. “Each machine has its own specific characteristics and settings. You can’t switch from one machine to another without knowing how it works,” explains the director. This expertise allows the workshop to handle everything from one-of-a-kind pieces to larger production runs. “We don’t have a minimum order. We can produce a single piece or several dozen meters of fabric. The more, the better, but we like to maintain this flexibility,” he says.

Vintage machines, rare craftsmanship, and an urgent need to pass on the tradition

The thirty or so machines—Rachel professions, flat knitting machines, carding machines, warping machines, overlock sewing machines, sewing machines, hemming machines, braiding machines, and cord-making machines, are used at every stage of production and represent a valuable heritage, as some are no longer manufactured today. Maintaining them has become a savoir-faire in itself: “I’m the workshop manager, but I’m also a plumber, electrician, and mechanic when needed”, says Romain Lopez. For the past fifteen years or so, he has been learning to repair this equipment himself, since he can’t always find the necessary parts or expertise. Some machines are still waiting to be brought back into service. This versatility is essential to keeping a workshop running where nothing goes to waste. Braided trim is sold by the meter, just like fabric, while scraps find a second life as stuffing for pillows, comforters, or even as insulation.

The company must also contend with another challenge: passing the torch to the next generation. In recent years, several retirements have marked a turning point, particularly those of employees who have been with the company since the family business began, resulting in the loss of “part of the factory’s memory.” “Today, we need to pass this on to a new generation,” he says. To achieve this, Val d’Arizes is exploring various avenues: hosting interns, hiring individuals seeking career transitions, collaborating with the high school in Tarbes, and forming partnerships with organizations that promote professional integration.

Despite an economic climate that is at times uncertain, Romain Lopez continues to develop new collections, while working to improve the traceability of raw materials and gradually restore certain machines to working order. “Today, there are only two of us left in France who make Tissu des Pyrénées this way. As long as we can keep this tradition alive and pass it on, we’ll keep going,” he says. In Cieutat, the professions continue to turn and the techniques continue to be passed down. More than just a fabric or a garment, Val d’Arizes is committed to preserving a rich technical and human heritage, so that this savoir-faire continues to be passed down through the generations.

To learn more, check out the Val d’Arizes company profile.