Visiting the Brun de Vian-Tiran's Factory
First natural blankets manufacturer in France, Brun de Vian-Tiran perpetuates the wool producing job for more of two centuries, following an uninterrupted family tradition. Since 1808, Brun de Vian-Tiran has been managing wool activities of carding, spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing to made materials, blankets, throws and shawls.
In 1808, Charles Tiran and his son-in-law, Pierre-Laurent Vian, created, on the edge of Sorgue River, a mill to finish the tissue. Wool industry was very important in the region, Popes’ territory until 1791: sheep farming, thistle and madder cultures, extraction of fuller’s earth were realized for centuries. The Fontaine de Vaucluse, first re-emergence of Europe, has been providing, with abundance, water and motive power.
Eight generations later, Brun de Vian-Tiran‘s direct descendants offer a complete range of blankets, throws and accessories, as well as quilts and mattress pads, for all seasons and all styles.
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| Emile Brun | Jean Brun | Louis Brun | Pierre Brun | Jean Louis Brun |
The quest for the most beautiful natural fibres of the world.
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Merino wool from France, Australia and South America, Asian Camel, Peruvian Alpaca, Bolivian Llama, Yak and Cashmere from Iran, China and Mongolia... In Brun de Vian-Tiran factory, the quest for the finest fibres is a family tradition. From 1900, steam navigation brings wool from South America and Oceania. During the XX° century’ second half, Brun de Vian-Tiran manufacture didn’t stop discovering fine fibres, like Cashmere from China and Mongolia, camel’s hairs, Alpaca from Peru, Llama from Bolivia. Bearing in mind silk, whose region was the welcome land during the XIII century, under the Popes’ impulsion in Avignon. During years, the factory appropriates fibres always more far away and exotic to create, in 2005, “Louis Brun” Collection dedicated to rare fibres like the Yangir, the Cashgora, the Kid Mohair, the King Lama o the Camel Turkmen amongst others. Brun de Vian-Tiran factory buys directly, on the five continents, the finest natural fibres. In no way, artificial o synthetic fibres could be compared to wool fibres for the comfort and the well-being of a blanket or a wool tissue. |
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An integrated Factory
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Using woollen fibres, Brun de Vian-Tiran carries out all the processing operations in its factory in l’Isle-sur-Sorgue, city in the south of France. Carding, spinning, weaving, fulling, raising and making-up, as well as the stitching of wool-filled quilts, are realized in the French ateliers. According to its philosophy, only a true manufacturer can guarantee genuine product quality, following step-by-step the product fabrication. |
Travel in the Factory
The experience of wool manufacturer for over two centuries allows sourcing the most beautiful natural fibres.
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Wool bales arrive to Brun de Vian-Tiran’s factory, in l’Isle-sur-Sorgue. From the finest, sweetest and hottest, to the most solid, a big variety of wool presents itself to the blankets’ manufacturer.
In a specific room, the wool bale is opened. The free wool fills up all the room. In function to the hoped product, the wool mix is realized here, before the stage of carding. The wool is ready to go through the step of carding, spinning and weaving, integrally realized in Brun de Vian-Tiran’s factory. None of technology no-weaving is adapted to the stability and longevity exigencies of a beautiful blanket.
Before obtaining yarn, the wool has to be disentangled and fluff out. The process of carding is realized to obtain wool locks. Carding aims at separating the fibers in order to obtain a regular veil. The fibers recover their original bulk and aeration.
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Further, wool locks are changed in wool yarns that can be weaved. The spin apparel draws out the wool lock to fix its fineness and regulate it. Yarn undergoes twisting, making it more fine, solid and resistant.
Wool bobbins are weaved. The weaving operation consists in interlace yarns. The piece of tissue is composed by a lengthways yarn, called warp, and a widthwise yarn, named weft. In the weaving loom, warp yarns raise themselves up alternatively to permit to the weft yarns, carried away by a shuttle, to interlace them. Warp yarn perpendicularly lines up with weft yarns, forming a tissue piece.
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After, the tissue obtained has to be fulling. Brun de Vian-Tiran’s Factory is a fulling specialist since 1808. Any fulled piece of tissue can have the dimensional stability and the hand essential to a quality blanket. The process of fulling permits to felt the wool, tighten the yarns. The tissue gets out with more flexibility and body, fluffier and softer, noted when touched. The operation consists in bathing the tissue in soapy water and manipulating it: it is beaten and pressed.
Then, blankets are raised with thistle. No other technology is better that the thistle to express the fleece’s blanket. Bit by bit replaced with metallic thistle, the natural thistle is utilized to made that the blanket losses its flat aspect and ruffle it.
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The last step of fabrication is the confection and the making up. The ribbons sewing is made with chain stitch, which does not go, and the corners are handmade. Ribbons are the blankets’ protector and Brun de Vian-Tiran‘s quality hallmarks.
