Being curators of cosiness takes us to some pretty amazing places. On our latest travels to the Maison&Objet Exhibition in Paris, we got to meet an inspiring brand we’ve had our eye on for some time in the flesh.
We have admired Libeco, and the incredibly beautiful designs they create and craft for a while. Their Belgian textile mill has a long history and their work with flax is simply iconic. So, it is with great pride that we say we now stock their stunning creations in the So Cosy store, and we hope you love them as much as we do.
To celebrate our collaboration with Libeco and the recent arrival of these new designs, we thought we’d share lots more details about this brand, its historic mill and the incredible accessories they’ve made possible thanks to their heritage, craftsmanship, attention to detail and love of all things linen.
A historic weaver at the epicentre
You don’t weave 16,400 yards of material every day, supply the Court of Belgium, and become one of the top European weaving mills without knowing a thing or two about linen!
Libeco has been honing its craft for more than 160 years, first as a trading house and then a weaving mill before building a sustainable, premium quality range that has earned them worldwide notoriety. We chatted to Libeco’s Design Director, Amy Behn, to find out more about the story of the brand and the family behind it…
“Libeco is a family company started in 1858. My husband Raymond is now the fifth generation of the Libeert family to lead the company. In Belgium – as in France and Holland – we are surrounded by flax fields. Flax is in the DNA of the country, as well as the Libeert family.
“The main division of our company focuses on the weaving and selling of fabric to manufacturers and editors all over the world. Libeco Home is our finished products division, a home collection of bed linen, table linen, kitchen linen, home accessories and bags. I’ve been designing the collection for the past 20 years, with my husband’s grandmother and sister designing the collection before me.”
The proof is in the product
As we’re sure you’ll agree, Libeco’s products are extra special and the finest examples of Belgian Linen at its best. As well as carrying the Masters of Linen trademark, its Belgian Linen quality label also puts it among the best of the best as Libeco explains:
“Only 6 weavers around the world may carry the Belgian Linen™ quality label. This has been a symbol of linen woven in Belgium from at least 85% European flax fibers since 1960. It is a guarantee of quality, traceability and authenticity, which is independently managed and supervised by the Belgian Linen Association.”
A true love of linen
What we admire more than anything else is Libeco’s unconditional love of linen. It’s a passion we share and was a point that dominated our conversations when we met in person in Paris.
Amy shared her thoughts on why linen is a great fibre to work with as follows, “We design and manufacture in linen because it’s who we are and what we do. It’s much deeper than just a beautiful product. We as a family are very connected to nature and have great concern for the future of the planet. Being able to work with such an incredible natural fibre is an amazing journey, and a way of life.”
The Libeco products we now stock are celebrations of that journey from fibre to fabric, and of linen as the wonderful, versatile and eternally stylish treasure it is. You can explore our new Libeco designs a little more closely here.
Just a quick note to say a big thank you to Amy Behn for giving her time, sharing her thoughts, and bringing her insights into Libeco and their beautiful products to our blog roll!
