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Trusted partner: Benaud Creations

The Benaud Créations house opens its large glass doors to you, and the impression of entering an Ali Baba's cave immediately seizes you. The stone wall, the exposed woodwork, the beautiful volumes and the graphic lines give this warm space a relaxed loft atmosphere. Franck Benaud, the master of the place, arrives. With a smile on his face, he is visibly delighted to share his passion. We sit around a good steaming coffee. The story begins.

A little history

The company is located in the Brotteaux district, and this is no coincidence. At the end of the 19th century, many textile companies came to set up here. Not far from the strongholds of silk and the Fabrique Lyonnaise anchored in the Croix Rousse, the moiréurs and embossers master precious know-how, unknown to the general public today. The moire creates a clever optical effect by superimposing two wefts of fabric. The iridescent effects draw regular patterns or more unpredictable effects. Embossing plays on the effects of 3D thanks to the simultaneous use of a positive cylinder and a negative cylinder. Finally, stamping consists of crushing certain areas of the fabric by calendering to draw patterns. It can be combined with moiré for even more striking visual effects. The shimmering magic of these three techniques brings fabrics to life.

The 1960s and 70s, however, marked the gradual decline of these French companies for the reasons that we know. Globalized market increasingly unbridled, excessive relocation, Asian competition, loss of interest also for moiré fabrics which are falling into disuse. Maire Moire, established since 1870, is one of the last surviving moire-embossers.

Moire Benaud Creation Traced Moire - © Benaud Creations - 2023

1991: birth of Benaud Creations

So it took a lot of flair and a lot of audacity to bet again on moiré in 1991. It was Didier Benaud's intuition that was behind the creation of the Benaud Créations company.

"Didier's bet is twofold: to develop fabrics that exist nowhere else by bringing the magic of moiré back to life, and to offer these original creations to high-end furniture designers, in search of originality and products precious."

Didier Benaud comes from Castres. The son of a foreman in a hosiery and a civil servant, he overflows with energy and dreams of a future full of adventure. He left for Lyon to study at the Textile and Chemical Institute. He cut his teeth in fine Lyon houses specializing in silk. His entrepreneurial thirst pushes him in 1991 to create his own company: it is the birth of Benaud Creations. He leads it with a masterful hand, favoring strong local roots and a recognizable creative touch from the outset. The collaboration with the latest moiré specialist, Maire Moire, is an important step in the development of the house.

Image of the Benaud Creations workshops Embossing - © Benaud Creations - 2023

2010/2015: passion and transmission

His son Franck Benaud gradually took over the reins in the years 2010/2015. He fell into the textile pot when he was little.

"There is a genetic side to textiles. It sweats, it runs through your veins. It's organic. The designs, the colors, the fabrics, it's all part of the decor. : I saw my father bring the fabrics into the cellar for the humidification stage, and leave with the moire the next day."

After a detour through business studies, Franck Benaud returns to his origins. The circle is complete. He carried out his internships and his end-of-studies dissertation in the field of textiles. He goes as far as China, the factory of the world, and New York to familiarize himself with sales techniques. He was finally recruited by his father as a sales representative for Benaud Créations. Learning is valuable: in the family business, skills flow freely from one employee to another. Franck touches on everything, accounting, logistics, creation.

"To be the son of, is to benefit from a solidly constituted network. It is also the obligation to prove oneself, to prove one's legitimacy. Finally, it is the paternal gaze placed on oneself, a mixture of benevolence and challenge. We understand each other without speaking to each other. The father and the son, two generations who help each other and confront each other around the same passion. A complex, sometimes painful alchemy, which has made Benaud Créations progress towards the success we knows him today."

 Moires Benaud Creations Moire Mirage Florent Tanet - © Benaud Creations - 2023

2022: acquisition of Maire Moire and Atelier Claeys

In 2022, a new milestone will be reached with the merger of Benaud Créations, Maire Moire and the Claeys workshop, stamping and embossing on fabrics since 1938. Today, Benaud Créations is a fabric manufacturer that masters the entire finishing chain thanks to to his studio based in Meximieux in Ain. Moving the age-old machines wasn't easy. But this investment is emblematic of Franck Benaud's philosophy: the sustainability of the workshop and know-how is a priority to guarantee the quality of the finished product.

To be in danger is to die or survive. Benaud Créations took the second option. For Franck Benaud, the company must support the development of materials, for example by increasing their technicality. This makes it possible to develop new products such as the wall coverings now offered by the house. Furthermore, the company's interest in the recycling sector is growing, particularly for polyester. Finally, don't be afraid to go back to basics by promoting the offer more effectively in order to launch new collaborations. In addition to historical furnishing fabrics, some orders are placed by the major French and Italian haute couture houses such as Dior or Gucci, or by more cutting-edge designers such as Marine Serre who only works with recycled textiles.

"Surviving also means working with others. You have to see things in a positive way. The French textile crisis has led all players, particularly in the region, to collaborate. We stop looking at each other like earthenware dogs and we work together!All the yarns of Benaud Créations come from Europe, mainly Germany, Belgium and Italy.They have been warped, woven, dyed and finished in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region thanks to a network of partners. "

Image of the Benaud Creations workshops Couture - © Benaud Creations - 2023

Partnership with Philéone Tissus

In order to promote know-how and make it known to as many people as possible, Franck Benaud attaches great importance to transmission. Every year, the company welcomes trainees in the workshop and in the design studio. It opens the doors of its stocks to students from La Martinière-Diderot high school. A way to look to the future with confidence, despite the vagaries.

"Each year is a challenge. You have to constantly renew yourself. And yet, durability is the key word. Durability of the machines, the know-how, the business model, but above all the people. A team that feels good about itself , it is a healthy and sustainable development. The textile industry is a living material. And necessarily unpredictable."

For Franck Benaud, the partnership with the new Philéone boutique is part of this transmission. All sewing enthusiasts have the chance to create unique projects from an exceptional material. Sewing a Benaud Créations fabric means adding your little cog to the great textile machine of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

"The collaboration with the Philéone boutique is part of this logic: to shine the Lyonnais know-how and give the general public the opportunity to play a role in the game."

Benaud Creations iridescent fabric coupon Neon pink moiré fabric - © Philéone Tissus - 2023

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Author of the article: Marie Formarier for Phileone France.

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