Partnership in progress at French denim factory
Denim Center, a smart denim-making factory located close to Lille in the north of France, has annoucned that it expects to produce 100,000 jeans in 2026. The facility has been running since 2022 and was set up by the Mulliez Family Association (AFM) with support from local authorities and ADEME, the French agency for ecological transition. The highly automated factory employs 53 people and manufactures jeans for two Mulliez-owned brands, Jules and Kiabi. In 2026, it plans to make roughly 50,000 pairs for each. Jules sells its French-made jeans €49.99 and Kiabi €35.
In addition to “reviving” part of the region’s textile heritage, the Denim Centre also produces jeans with a 40% lower ‘environmental cost’ compared to jeans made in Asia and sold in France. This, the company said, is based on data provided by brands on the state-run environmental database platform Ecobalyse.
The success of this venture is attributed to the sharing of a same industrial infrastructure across several brands. In a time of disrupted supply chains, it offers a secure sourcing solution, the company also said.
A similar factory, set up by Dutch retailer C&A in Germany, was closed it last year.
