I checked my email a final time as I was wrapping up a week only to learn that Brunschwig & Fils is filing for chapter 11. Such a sad day for those of us who love fabrics!
A little background. Achille Brunschwig established Brunschwig & Fils in 1900 as a tapestry-weaving mill in Aubusson and Bohain, in France. Early in the twentieth century, the firm expanded its collection to include printed and woven silks and cottons from the finest European mills and serviced both the European and American markets. At the onset of WWII the company cleverly substituted parachute cloth for silk, unbleached muslin for linen, and found American mills to weave and print the designs, all to great acclaim. I alwasy knew I could look to Brunschwig for the most lovely prints and wovens and to this day one memorable reupholstery project brings back images of the most colorful velvets I’ve ever used.
The press release I read indicated that Kravet is making a competitive bid to purchase Brunschwig, and although Kravet is a wonderful company with lovely fabrics of its own, they are entirely of a different mold.
Brunschwig, you will be missed by many!
PepperJack Interiors 
4 Responses to Brunschwig et Fils….Did You Know?
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The Kravets also own Lee Jofa and have done a really good job in keeping the brands very separate and distinct . Lee Jofa has continued to produce the beautiful high quality exclusive fabrics they were known for and designers can rely on the Kravets to deliver as promised . They are very smart and very competent at managing the complex supply chain and distribution side of the wholesale textile business and of equal importance they understand and support the interior design community . There are a number of interested buyers so it remains to be seen who will win the bid . It’s very tricky maintaining the integrity of a brand especially when it leaves its’ family . For those of us who work at B.& F. it’s been an utterly devastating ordeal but it’s a grand old company with very strong resources and will be of most interest to the sort of companies who know how to insure it keeps it’s unique voice . It’s a short list of suitable matches but the Kravets have a lot to offer and it could be a happy marriage for both . So don’t give up on us yet .
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Thanks for your insights Donna. We are all wishing you, Kravet and the Brunshwig teams the very best.
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Very sad! They have such beautiful fabrics. Hopefully someone else can pick them up!
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