By Manish Puri.
I’m in a automotive with Nathan Hellard – the founding father of French linen service provider Maison Hellard – and we’re kindly being chauffeured by Nathan’s father, Philippe, from Pau to the commune of Assat, the place the corporate is predicated.
It’s a sizzling day, however the air-con gives some aid. As we chat in regards to the imminent arrival of the Olympic flame in Pau, en path to Paris, Nathan begins to shift uncomfortably.
He turns to his father and asks in French, “Did you place my automotive seat hotter on?” Philippe begins to chuckle uncontrollably on the success of his prank.
What does this should do with linen? Completely nothing besides, maybe, to function a reminder of one of many less-acknowledged causes we spend a lot time, cash and power on high quality clothes: connections.
None of us enjoys feeling just like the final hyperlink in a provide chain: a unit of consumption as mechanical and relentless because the meeting traces that churn out the products. We’re worldly sufficient to know that that is the way in which it’s, however that doesn’t imply we do not lengthy for one thing higher.
Think about a enterprise the place the founder (in between designing material and replying to emails) pulls heavy rolls of linen down from the gorgeous wood cabinets that his father (in between cracking Dad-jokes) made by hand. As soon as set down on the desk, his mom (Michèle) inspects, presses and cuts the fabric to order. Now think about your relationship with a jacket created from that material. Their maison and yours are related.
Nathan’s path to founding Maison Hellard started (after serving within the French military and dealing for Airbus) at Zegna, earlier than a transfer to Scabal was lower brief by the pandemic. Nonetheless his time at these manufacturers was sufficient to persuade him that his future lay in his personal material enterprise. The query was, what material?
Whereas Nathan had lived in Paris and Asia, most of his life was spent across the southwest of France. “There are many farmers on this area,” he advised me, “and I wished to honour that by making one thing utilizing French growers. In the long run, we settled on Normandy linen.”
To assist guarantee they supply the very best high quality linen and assist native growers, Maison Hellard have partnered with Terre de Lin – a co-operative that represents over 600 farmers within the area.
Their linen is dyed and woven in Italy. It’s usually mentioned that Italians have a penchant for bolder, stronger colors on the subject of linen (heck, if English summers have been as routinely sun-drenched as Italian ones, I’d too). However Nathan’s desire is for softer, subtler shades – he makes use of the phrase “muted” loads via our conversations.
Maybe it’s the six years he spent within the navy or his fondness for strolling his chocolate-brown cocker spaniel Vaillant (the unofficial mascot of the enterprise) within the French countryside, however the Maison Hellard cabinets are crammed with military greens, gown uniform blues and earthy browns.
How that is achieved is one in all Nathan’s proudest accomplishments, and I feel the important thing factor that units Maison Hellard aside. Quite than depend on the usual colors supplied by most Italian spinners, every of the Maison Hellard yarns is dyed to their very own colors that are unique to them.
Their selection of colors – a pattern of which will be seen on the pinboard above – is slender when in comparison with the gatefold-brochures of business color charts, nevertheless it’s rigorously outlined and establishes an actual lingua franca. In my opinion, it is what makes Maison Hellard’s vary of linens – plain or patterned – so tasteful.
“We’re not reinventing the wheel right here – finally we’re simply laying one yarn on high of one other,” Nathan notes with attribute understatement. However with such lovely supply supplies, you may see how beautiful the chances are – we spend the subsequent quarter-hour crisscrossing totally different yarns to a refrain of “oohs” and “ahs”.
The board additionally permits Nathan for example one in all his latest developments: two-ply linen (a yarn the place two single strands are twisted collectively). Whereas multi-ply linen is accessible available on the market it is usually piece-dyed, so the entire material is dyed after it has been woven. The Maison Hellard two-ply is yarn-dyed, which permits threads of two totally different colors to be twisted collectively.
Evaluate these comparable colored linens from Maison Hellard’s assortment – Provence (above left) and Horizon (above proper). They don’t seem to be instantly comparable, given the Provence is a plain weave and the Horizon is a twill, however the two-ply of the latter does assist present the additional physique and visible curiosity that this yarn can supply.
A yarn-dyed two-ply additionally makes it doable to make patterned material out of yarns which have already got some actually fascinating issues occurring. It means a primary two-colour test sample might consist of 4 totally different colored particular person strands – simply think about the depth and number of colors that may very well be woven right into a extra complicated design.
Different Maison Hellard cloths that caught my eye have been the linen, cashmere and silk blends with a refined sheen from the silk, and a luxuriously delicate deal with from the cashmere allied with the feel of linen. I additionally actually appreciated their 18oz linen denim, woven in Osaka and out there in jet black, pure and indigo – the latter of which I lately noticed made up as a crisp jean jacket by Whitcomb & Shaftesbury (under).
It’s clear that Nathan relishes experimenting with totally different cloths, creating collections and reviving previous designs. “We’re too small to not take dangers,” he says. The diminutiveness of the enterprise has one other profit: unburdened by material brokers, advertising and marketing and different intermediaries, they will rapidly produce small runs of material when inspiration strikes – one thing I’ve noticed first hand.
Earlier this 12 months, I occurred to be in Taillour’s atelier on the similar time that Nathan was visiting. Whereas searching their inventory of classic material, he grew to become enamoured with a Nineteen Seventies tweed – a biscuit Prince of Wales test that Fred’s enterprise accomplice Lee had present in a dusty material store in Portugal – and took a couple of photographs of it for reference.
The subsequent time I used to be in Taillour, only a few months later, I observed a well-recognized wanting, freshly-delivered bolt of material on the desk. It turned out that Nathan, impressed by the tweed, had designed the same fashion in 100% linen (under). It’s now out there solely at Taillour and is called ‘Peck’s Yard’ after the East London road the place their atelier is positioned.
Lastly, with regards to Taillour, I promised readers that I’d save my ideas on how my summer season double-breasted go well with, created from a Maison Hellard ivory 12/13oz linen (under), fared for this text.
I’ve by no means commissioned something in Italian linen, which Maison Hellard is perhaps closest to, however of the linens I’ve tried I’ve discovered Irish linen to be crisp and dry; Solbiati’s ‘Artwork Du Lin’ to have a matte, virtually suede-like end; and the Maison Hellard linen a pleasingly delicate, virtually brushed deal with.
The material is a twill and, in my expertise and all different issues being equal, these usually drape higher than a plain weave. Stains may seem much less outstanding on the ridged floor – a useful property in such a lightweight colored material.
I’ve been lucky sufficient to attend the summer season version of Pitti Uomo (the place the photographs under have been taken) a couple of instances now – sporting tropical wool, seersucker and Irish linen alongside the way in which – and essentially the most comfy I’ve felt in these sweltering Florentine days and nights was carrying the Maison Hellard linen.
Now, earlier than we alert the media about my findings, I ought to acknowledge that this isn’t precisely a scientific comparability – Fred’s relaxed lower is a contributory issue right here too – however, even so, I’ve no compunctions telling those that this linen wears pretty cool.
I’ve additionally been impressed with how the fabric holds up over the course of a day. It holds a crease pretty properly and whereas it does accumulate extra rumples than Irish linen, they are usually softer and barely faster to fall out after being hung. The jacket holds up higher than the trousers, however present me a material the place the reverse is true.
Finally, you may decide its efficiency for your self from the photographs. The primary one (the place I’m sitting subsequent to Nathan) was taken round lunchtime, and the second taken within the night – after 10 hours of damage and 15,000 steps in 27 levels celsius climate.
I’d characterise Maison Hellard material because the romantic’s selection. Those that are already unimpressed by linen’s nonchalance are unlikely to be gained over by Maison Hellard (to these naysayers, could I counsel tropical wool?), however those that adore linen and embrace it with out reservation or concern of crumpling will discover loads to like right here. After all, romantics lengthy for companions, and in Taillour’s relaxed and breezy lower I feel the linen discovered a great companion.
Manish is @the_daily_mirror on Instagram
