ABOUT US ABOUT LINEN SUSTAINABILITY INDUSTRIAL WHOLESALE CONTRACT CONSUMER LINEN IN FLANDERS, A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE For centuries, flax has been grown and transformed into linen fabrics throughout Flanders, the westernmost region of Belgium, known since the Renaissance for its prosperity and culture. The climate and soil of the region, interlaced with many small rivers, have made it ideal for linen production. In the beginning, flax was an ancillary crop, grown to be woven during the long winter months while farmers waited for the next growing cycle to begin. In 1275, the town of Tielt erected an exchange for linen trade. This market flourished as a source of supply to weavers in the region. By the 1300's, the Mandel river was vital for retting harvested flax to remove the binders and release the fibers. Over the next century, the craft of linen manufacture spread throughout Flanders, especially to the Lys region where, by the 1600's, Meulebeke was an important source for finer qualities of linen cloth. A census conducted in 1739 recorded 342 master weavers, 167 laborers and 28 apprentices engaged in linen production in Meulebeke. The industry brought increased prosperity to the region, although the lives of the local craftsmen were not easy. Throughout the 18th century, up until the middle of the 1800's, Flanders' textile industry prospered. By 1796, for the districts around Tielt, 17% of households were involved in linen production; by 1840, this figure had risen to 71%. Tielt remained the center of the industry, more important than either Gent or Kortrijk. BELIEVE IN LINEN