2023-06-19 10:39:12
Natural plant material, resistant, thermoregulated, hypoallergenic and ecological, because it consumes very little water and inputs, flax grows mainly in Normandy. Recognizable among a thousand by its small blue flowers, France is the leading producer in the world. Only, between 70 to 80% of its harvests go to China to return, in particular in clothing.
A heresy for Pauline Beuzelin who opened a clothing workshop in Malaunay (near Rouen) in the former TAN textile factory in order to recreate a complete industry. It has also just won the Normandy economy trophy in the “Stakes of tomorrow” category.
From farmer to weaver
Born in Rocquemont (76), Pauline Beuzelin began her career at Microsoft. In 2019, two former classmates took over scutching from their father, “and I discovered the flax sector. This excites me so much that I suggest to a friend to cycle around the Seine-Maritime to meet the farmers, the cutters and the weaver. We knew at that time that spinning mills and weavers wanted to relocate to France, including Emmanuel Lang in Alsace and Safilin in Hauts-de-France. So we continued our journey in a van to meet them and discover others”.
On their return, the analysis is unquestionably: “farmers have seen the doors of China close during the health crisis. The flax bales remained in the sheds. They felt for the first time a real problem while it is a lucrative culture. We also know that now the Chinese are growing flax and will at some point be able to master the techniques and will therefore abandon our market. So we have to redevelop our sector to preserve our cultures and our players. Let’s stop depending on exports, cotton from the other side of the world and polyester which is plastic. In addition, with the climate emergency, it is no longer okay to send our flax and have it come back processed. We know how to do it at home,” argues the young entrepreneur.
The missing link
It’s decided ! In January 2022, Pauline Beuzelin founded Mi Juin, “a short circuit 100% linen clothing workshop with our own brand and for designers. A social and solidarity company as a link between producers, processors and consumers. Today, we are seven, including two people in integration, making clothes, travel bags, laptop bags, bananas and other accessories that we market through our site and in a few shops in Paris, Caen and Giverny” details Pauline Beuzelin. And, with materials that only come from France, because “we buy our fabrics from Lemaitre-Demesstere in Halluin (59) woven with yarn from La French Filature in Saint-Martin-du-Tilleul (27). It’s exciting to be able to recreate this circuit. It is a real challenge to work locally”.
While Yann Rivoallan, President of the Federation of women’s ready-to-wear denounces the complacency of the media vis-à-vis the Shein brand, the Normande explains “that the Chinese company has been able to develop marketing concepts that make you want to consume especially young girls. On the other hand, today, you have to know what you are buying. That the employees there are paid by the piece and that the competition is fierce. That they sleep in dormitories close to the factory, sometimes with the children with them. That minorities are exploited. So, what do we want to defend with our CB? The second hand is relevant for those who have small means, seek to differentiate themselves and do not want to undergo the diktat of brands. The short circuit, especially in linen, is made for those who want their clothes to last over time and that they can find themselves second-hand.
Yes, it’s more expensive, but we don’t have to buy all the time. The young consumer is ready to hear this discourse. We have to become consum’actors and change things when we buy to reindustrialize our territory”. A real activist speech that Pauline Beuzelin assumes by refusing to appear on platforms like Amazon and uses reusable packaging for her shipments. In full expansion, with his team, they will inaugurate the workshop on June 16 and launch a 300 m2 expansion project for January 2024, “to think about other ways of transforming flax, to look into hemp, because I strongly believe in reindustrialisation”.
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