11 July 2023
The Libeco family has been working with natural scutched flax fibre since 1858. Today, changing societies attest to growing interest in natural materials. Drawing on its rich expertise, this Belgian company has been able to balance the realms of agriculture and creativity.
Natural sand-coloured linen lamps with fringe edges, magnificent chairs covered in linen fabric, and the Belgian company Libeco’s new headquarters in Meulebeke with their large bay windows overlooking the city demonstrate the diversity of their products made of natural scutched flax fibres, which the family’s five generations have been working with since 1858. The success and strong growth in linen fabrics and finished products over the past three years speak volumes about underlying changes in society. First, consumers are more interested in sustainable, local and traceable materials, which is driving the popularity of European scutched flax fibre. At the same time, they also long for cosy interiors, paying particular attention to home decor and the fabrics they choose to use. Libeco has also invented methods for working with linen for embroidery, painting canvases and wall upholstery.
Libeco’s expertise in fabrics and home accessories.
In 1858, Paul Libeert began to market linen produced locally in this region of Belgium. High-quality scutched flax fibre remains at the heart of the brand’s DNA. Of course, the specific techniques have evolved with each industrial revolution. Today, traditional expertise is combined with mechanisation in scutching mills, which even incorporates AI at certain stages, such as quality control, embodying constant dialogue between agriculture, craftsmanship and innovation.
Unlike other weavers, the Belgian company specialises in linen and has developed a product offer in all sectors: upholstery fabric, a wide range of bed and table linen and home accessories (cushions, napkins, throws, etc.), clothing and also technical solutions. Although the family business is best known for its 100% linen fabrics, it is also able to meet demand for blends, such as linen-wool.
Since 2013, the company has gone even further in its environmental commitment by expanding its organic collections, investing to obtain a zero-carbon certification for its weaving operation, installing solar panels and designing a new, energy-efficient headquarters.
“For generations, we have been close to nature, but we wanted to emphasise this even more at the industrial level,” says founder Raymond Libeert.
“We are devising as many solutions as possible to avoid the use of chemicals and we opt for low-impact treatments. Through mechanical processes, we can obtain linen that is really soft to the touch.”, he adds.
Moving beyond the latest fads, the brand’s products explore creative classic styles, creating a much more diversified offering. Its flagship pieces are timeless in style and put simplicity front and centre.
“Our clients have become much more diverse and younger,” notes Amy Behn, the brand’s design director who creates its exclusive designs, who is married to Raymond Libeert. “We have maintained a classical product offering but have really diversified it, without giving in to the latest trends, but by working with our signature based on the principles of simplicity and permanence. Our flagship products include throws that clients also use as a large cloth to cover a table. These are made of washed linen, which has a particular texture and density. It’s a classic that we come back to every year, making it in different colourways. Cushions and throws made of linen/wool blends also sell really well in winter.”, she concludes.
copyright Libeco
Home accessories often showcase striped variations. The design director works closely with the material, while maintaining the brand’s signature simplicity. This is the case for a series of placemats, which can come in one single colour or can be mixed and matched with different colours, all of which coordinate easily. The same goes for throws and striped cushions. You can stay within the same colour scheme or to mix and match - with effortless and extensive creative possibilities.
As part of its future developments, Libeco is also interested in textile hemp. Even though testing remains in the research phase, it continues to closely monitor the technical capabilities of this fibre, a European cousin of flax.
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