Why it belongs in ORBIS
French knitwear house founded in 1893 in Troyes by Pierre Valton as a hosiery factory; invented the ribbed 'milleraies' cotton jersey in 1970 and has been part of the Rocher Group since 1988.
Petit Bateau originates from a hosiery factory founded in Troyes, France, in 1893 by Pierre Valton, initially producing underwear from a 3,700-square-meter workshop. In 1918, Valton's son Etienne redesigned children's underpants without legs or buttons, replacing rough wool with unbleached white cotton and adding elastic waistbands. The brand's best-known fabric, 'milleraies' - a fine ribbed cotton jersey - was developed in 1970. Petit Bateau became part of Groupe Rocher (the cosmetics group behind Yves Rocher) in 1988, and expanded from a children's-only label into a trans-generational brand in the 2000s with the launch of an adult collection.