The thumbnail photo shows “Flax Sliver.” It’s flax fiber that has been combed and prepared; twist is then applied to make it linen yarn.
(The following is what I posted on Threads on June 17, 2024.)
“Is this French linen?”—I get this question a lot. As a linen + hemp professional, I always explain that there is actually no official grade or brand called “French linen.” That may be surprising.
The reason is that for specialists, “Flax” and “Linen” are distinct terms used for different stages in the process. In the agricultural sector, flax is grown mainly in northern France, but much of it is exported as raw material and spun into yarn elsewhere (very often in China). Flax becomes “linen” only after the prepared fibers are twisted into yarn.
In other words, up until it becomes yarn, it is still flax; unless it is spun in France, it remains flax (so “French flax” would be the accurate term).
The notion that “French linen” is a brand and a mark of quality likely stems from MUJI’s long-running marketing campaigns around linen.
Of course, it remains true that the world’s best flax grown for linen comes from northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
However, a major shift has arrived in recent years.
For many years (since the 1990s), European linen spinning moved to countries with lower processing and labor costs. As a result, France effectively lost linen spinning for nearly 30 years.
But with rising awareness of the climate crisis and recognition of globalization’s downsides across many fields, momentum has grown to restart linen spinning in France and revive “Linen 100% Made in France.” Investment has followed, and younger generations have renewed interest in traditional bast-fiber spinning and weaving.
As a result, a new spinning mill has been established in Normandy, the heartland of top-grade flax. This is truly, genuinely French linen.
lafrenchfilature.fr
This broader trend—“bringing textiles back as a national industry”—is starting in many countries. Like food, textiles have chased ever-cheaper global raw materials, which has not only undermined regional industries but also eroded the essential value of cloth as something that “lives with daily life.” There is a growing sense of urgency about this. At the same time, climate consciousness supports local production for local consumption to curb greenhouse gas emissions. You could say it’s a sign of the times.
(Posted on Threads on June 17, 2024)
