Le Jacquard Français
Jacquard table linen, tablecloths, napkins, tea towels woven in Gérardmer in the Vosges
Le Jacquard Français belongs to the Elis group (revenue >€4 billion, textile services). Manufacturing stays in Gérardmer and the EPV label is deserved, but artisanal independence is gone, it's a subsidiary of a publicly listed group.
Philosophy
Since 1888, Le Jacquard Français has perpetuated the art of jacquard weaving in the Vosges. Each piece is woven in Gérardmer, meticulously inspected, designed to last and beautify the everyday table.
History
Gérardmer, Vosges, 1888. Nathan Lévy founds 'Établissements Nathan Lévy' in the Vosges valley, a historic textile territory where mountain water and weavers' know-how have crossed for centuries.
The specialty: jacquard weaving. The jacquard loom (invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard in Lyon in 1804) creates complex patterns directly in the fabric, not printed, not embroidered, woven. Each thread is individually programmed. The result: table linen of a precision and richness impossible otherwise.
Cotton is long-staple combed, the top of cotton, soft, resilient, luminous. Vosges linen completes the range. Tablecloths, napkins and tea towels that have dressed the finest French tables, starred restaurants, luxury hotels, state tables, for over a century.
From 1978 to 1995, designer Primrose Bordier shaped the brand's visual identity with botanical and geometric patterns that became classics. Caroline Roche leads the house today.
The delicate point: Le Jacquard Français belongs to the Elis group, a textile services giant (revenue >€4 billion). Independence is gone. The craftsmanship is real, manufacturing stays in Gérardmer, the EPV label (2022) is deserved. But it's a subsidiary of a listed group, not a family workshop.
Le Jacquard Français is the official supplier to the Élysée, the French presidential palace's tablecloths are woven in Gérardmer. It's also the linen found at France's greatest Michelin-starred tables. When a triple-starred chef chooses table linen, he doesn't look at price, he looks at touch, drape, wash resistance. And he chooses LJF. Prices stay accessible: €30-100 for a towel or placemat, €150-500 for a tablecloth.
Iconic Products
Nappe jacquard
The signature tablecloth, long-staple combed cotton, woven jacquard patterns (not printed). Each design is a loom programming feat. From Medieval to Art Deco, patterns span centuries of aesthetics. The kind of tablecloth you bring out for special occasions and it silences the table. Red wine stains are part of the deal.
Torchon jacquard
The tea towel you hang on the wall as much as use in the kitchen. Elaborate patterns, absorbent cotton, careful finish. At €15-25, it's the quintessential French souvenir gift, useful, beautiful, washable. A Le Jacquard Français tea towel is to an Ikea tea towel what Château Margaux is to boxed wine.