For this Présent >< Futur cycle, the Cité du design has asked each guest designer to embark on a creative adventure with a company in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region known for its industrial know-how and innovative approach. The experimentation, which takes place in situ, lasts for three to six months and results in new creative output, items which are unveiled in the exhibition and highlighted in the accompanying book. The dach&zephir duo have thus been paired with Saint-Étienne-based
company Neyret, which specialises in the manufacturing of ribbons and
textile accessories. Together, they have worked on projects combining Neyret’s inimitable
know-how and the plastic and historical approach developed by the
dach&zephir studio. It was all about images, woven pictures and
using production offcuts, to reveal imaginary worlds and potential new
channels and applications for Neyret.
Ribbonmaking is one of the significant industrial arts of the Saint-Étienne region. Established in 1823 in Saint-Étienne, the Neyret house specialised from its beginnings in making official ribbons as well as civilian and military decorations, before developing its expertise in the creation of woven silk pictures for liturgical use. Its recognized skills in weaving and printing narrow textiles gradually led it to expand its clientele, and to tackle the field of fashion and luxury. Neyret thus became a specialist in woven labels, from packaging ribbons to the ornamentation of fragrance bottles and vials.
As innovation is a powerful driver for research, the company is now engaged in a reflection, on brand protection, eco-design, and interactive connectivity. The meeting with dach&zephir, orchestrated by the Cité du design, allows it to take a step aside, projecting Maison Neyret in new forms linked to its history and its production. Together, they reflected on projects combining Neyret’s inimitable know-how and the plastic and historical approach developed by dach&zephir. What is at stake is a set of images, tables of circumstances, and the reuse of scraps from production, showing potential imaginary worlds, networks, and applications for Neyret.
The dach&zephir duo explores two creative avenues that link the sensitivity of Neyret’s traditional techniques to a contemporary approach to textile assemblage.
About Neyret Since the firm was founded in Saint-Étienne in 1823, Neyret has developed a unique body of know-how in the manufacturing of ribbons and textile goods. Neyret has three production facilities : in Saint-Just-Malmont, Grammond, and Montbonnot-Saint-Martin. The internationally renowned company (export accounts for 40% of its sales) has a fleet of 60 looms, 30 printing machines and 25 processing and cutting machines. Each year, Neyret produces over 70 million metres of printed ribbons, and over 100 million labels and woven accessories. Recognised by the big names in the luxury and fashion industries for the
elegance and quality of its products, this family business continues to
perpetuate a passion for excellence in textiles through an extensive
presence on the international market and innovation, which allows it to
enhance and extend its industrial know-how.
