Jean-Luc Carrucciu, Sandrine Guibert, Saint Laurent de Cerdans, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Sans et Garcerie, Catalan, French Pyrenees, West 19th Street
LES TOILES DU SOLEIL
WHAT
150 year old French Catalan linen company.
WHY
The colors are so bright and cheery, they could be considered the prozac of fabrics. The company still only uses traditional looms.
CONSIDER
Great for gifts. They also do custom-made orders.
January 12, 2010
GENERAL INFORMATION
French Linens Store
Chelsea
261 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011 (map this)
T: 212.229.4730
Hours:
Mon - Sat: 11am - 8pm
Sun: 12pm - 6pm
Click HERE for owner Jean-Luc’s recommendations for places he goes for a French experience.
©2009 FindEatDrink.com
Click HERE for owner Jean-Luc’s recommendations for places he goes for a French experience.
©2009 FindEatDrink.com
In today’s whirlwind world, it’s nice to know that some places still do things the old-fashioned way. Les Toiles Du Soleil is a 150 year old French Catalan company using traditional looms to manually manufacture linens with colors so bright they could be sold in pharmacies as over-the-counter anti-depressants.
Les Toiles Du Soleil means ‘the cloth of the sun” and sunny they are. Big bold stripes woven into super durable, 100 percent cotton fabrics. The company started in the small town of Saint Laurent de Cerdans, in the French Pyrenees.
The town was known for making espadrilles and Les Toiles Du Soleil (then known as Sans et Garcerie) supplied the candy-colored fabrics for the comfy shoes. By the 1990’s, the company was on the verge of closing. In 1994, a Catalan couple bought the company, renamed it, and kept the tradition alive by using the same looms, but tweaking the colors to be more vivid.
They still make the gorgeous fabrics, but have now expanded to also make everything from table linens to aprons to upholstery. They also carry a huge line of accessories and even deck chairs. Every item can be custom ordered, which means you get to pick your own palate from a dizzying array of fabrics. In essence, the store functions as a showroom. In addition to the custom-order items, they sell many things that are pre-made, such as tea towels, place mats, beach totes, and even espadrilles and teddy bears.
The Chelsea outpost is owned by the husband and wife team, Jean-Luc Carrucciu and Sandrine Guibert. Sandrine grew up in Saint Laurent de Cerdans and decided to bring the Les Toiles Du Soleil to the United States. It is one of only three stores in the world, with the other two in Paris and Tokyo. Jean-Luc and Sandrine only work with artisans and never outsource anything, focusing on delivering the quality that matches their fabrics.
Jean-Luc and Sandrine are very proud that they are able to share a piece of their past and take it into the future. New items coming out soon are desk accessories, fabric boxes, and a pet line featuring the colorful stripy fabrics with leather accents.
