What La Gentle Factory is known for
Made-in-France clothing label founded in Roubaix in 2013 by textile engineer Christele Merter, originally incubated within the Happychic group before becoming fully independent in 2019; works with more than 30 French garment workshops.
La Gentle Factory was created in 2013 by Christele Merter, an engineer trained at Roubaix's National School of Arts and Textile Industries (ENSAIT), initially to supply sustainable, French-made pieces to Happychic group brands including Jules, Brice and Bizzbee. It became a standalone brand in January 2017 and left the Happychic group to operate independently in 2019. The label is based in Roubaix and works with a network of more than 30 French workshops covering every stage of production, while employing around 15 people directly and supporting roughly 26 further jobs among its subcontractors. It launched with menswear and has since expanded into womenswear and childrenswear, positioned at accessible price points.
How ORBIS reads this city
Best for — Happychic's made-in-France Roubaix textile revival
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Where next
- Souleiado — France
- Le Coq Sportif — France
- Drôle de Monsieur — Paris
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