In 2019, Pierre Schmitt, boss of the Alsatian textile group Velcorex, repatriated the spinning of French linen to his Emmanuel Lang factory in Hirsingue. His daughter Agathe transforms the trial by launching, with her new 100% French brand Sème, linen jeans, French “from seed to confection”.
The eight stages of its manufacture are carried out in France, from the cultivation of flax in Normandy to the stabilization of the color in Sarthe, including spinning, weaving and finishing in the Haut-Rhin factories of Velcorex. “It only travels a total of 2500 km”, welcomes the designer Agathe Schmitt, based in Colmar. An environmental impact that is all the more reduced as the manufacture of linen jeans requires 100 times less water than Asian cotton denim.
The brand’s catalog focuses on simplicity
Sème also offers pieces in velvet woven by Velcorex, the only manufacturer of this fabric in France. “French know-how does not stop at sewing but goes as far as weaving”, defends Agathe Schmitt, who wants to “give people back access to quality French material”, while Velcorex products are today reserved for the top of the range and mainly for export.
Sème jeans are sold at 195 euros, to order online “to avoid intermediaries”. The brand’s catalog focuses on simplicity. “We are not looking to make products that mark a trend,” assumes Agathe Schmitt, “but basics that retain style over time and that can be passed on. »