Prelle et Compagnie

What Prelle et Compagnie does

Prelle et Compagnie (legally Prelle et Cie S.A.S., operating as Manufacture Prelle / Maison Prelle) is a Lyon-based silk weaving manufacture founded in 1752 and now in its ninth generation of family ownership, currently directed by Guillaume and Sabine Verzier. The company produces luxury silk textiles across two complementary lines: a permanent Collection of ready-made damasks, brocatelles, velvets, shaped satins, and lampas sold by the metre, and a Bespoke (Fabrications spéciales) service producing fully custom fabrics for specific architectural and interior projects. Production is centred at the historic Croix-Rousse workshop in Lyon (7 rue Barodet) and combines traditional hand looms — the only looms capable of weaving precious cut velvets (velours ciselé), silk brocades, and gold/silver brocarts — with modern electronic Jacquard looms, including a proprietary Dornier loom equipped with a full-width Stäubli Jacquard mechanism that produces seamless 162 cm decorative panels.

The customer base is split between high-net-worth private residential clients (commissioning bespoke wall coverings, curtains, and upholstery, typically via interior designers and architects), cultural institutions and heritage properties requiring authentic restoration (notably the Frick Collection in New York, a client since 1914 with commissions in 1967, 1969, 2001, 2014, and 2023-2025), and professional interior designers sourcing from the standing collection. Distribution is entirely direct: a primary commercial showroom at 5 place des Victoires in Paris and a North American showroom at 43 East 10th Street in New York's Greenwich Village; the Lyon manufacture does not accept walk-in visitors and there is no e-commerce channel. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; permanent collection fabrics are sold by the metre, while bespoke and restoration commissions are project-quoted. Competitive advantage rests on the 270+ year archival library (commission books, thread samples, color charts), the dual hand-loom / electronic-loom capability, and the multi-generational transmission of specialized techniques (velours strié warp arrangement, lancé découpé adaptation) that no other surviving atelier can replicate.

Name

Prelle et Compagnie

Legal name

Prelle et Cie S.A.S.

Website

https://prelle.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1752

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Prelle et Compagnie is a Lyon-based silk weaving manufacture founded in 1752, now in its ninth family generation, producing luxury damasks, velvets, and bespoke textiles for private residences, interior designers, and cultural heritage institutions worldwide, with showrooms in Paris and New York.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Silk Fabric Manufacturing

NAICS

Broadwoven Fabric Mills (313210)

SIC

Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221)

akta.pro primary industry

Greige Woven Fabric Mills (IMAOABAA)

Keywords

• Silk weaving manufacture
• Luxury silk fabrics
• Bespoke textile production
• Heritage fabric restoration
• Custom damask weaving

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Silk and specialty fabric sales (permanent collection): Sale of ready-made fabrics from the permanent collection, including damasks, velvets, satins, brocatelles, and lampas in standardized widths (typically 50.4 in / 128 cm) with multiple colorways. These are sold by the meter, typically to interior designers, decorators, and high-end residential clients.
2. Bespoke and custom fabric fabrication: Fully custom fabric production developed in close collaboration with clients, architects, and textile designers. Includes unique colorways, custom widths (up to 162 cm), bespoke weave structures, and functional treatments (e.g., water-repellent). Pricing is project-specific and quote-based.
3. Heritage restoration and reproduction commissions: Specialized restoration commissions for cultural institutions (museums, historic residences) requiring precise reproduction of original fabrics using archival records, thread samples, and traditional techniques. Projects such as the Frick Collection (2023) demonstrate the capability to reproduce century-old textiles with historical fidelity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Prelle et Compagnie is a Lyon-based silk weaving manufacture established in 1752 that produces luxury silk textiles sold by the meter from its permanent Collection (damasks, brocatelles, velvets, lampas, shaped satins, and brocatelles in multiple historic styles and colorways) and creates fully custom bespoke fabrics for specific projects. The manufacture weaves all fabrics on site in its Croix-Rousse workshops using both traditional hand looms and modern electronic Jacquard looms, and supports full heritage restoration commissions for cultural institutions. Sales are handled exclusively through direct inquiry to its Paris and New York showrooms, with production entirely in-house.

Product overview

Prelle et Compagnie is a Lyon silk weaving manufacture established in 1752, offering luxury textiles across two main product categories: a permanent Collection of ready-made silk fabrics and custom Bespoke (Fabrications spéciales) manufacturing. The Collection includes diverse fabric types—damasks (Damas Moiré Adélaïde, Damas Rochester, Damas Rivoli, Damas Le Châtelet, Damas Reflets, Damas Madame Denis), brocatelles (Brocatelle Horus, Clémentine, Brocatelle Clé des songes), shaped satins (Gloria, Jacobean, Océan, Jet d'Eau, Kouba, Taille Douce Lilium), velvets (Velours de soie strié), and utility fabrics (Fleuret chevron, Empreintes, Ecouen). The Bespoke service creates unique, custom-designed fabrics for specific architectural and interior projects, exemplified by the Distinct Oscillation II damask for a private residence in Deurle and historical reproductions for institutions like the Frick Collection. The manufacture maintains traditional hand looms alongside modern electronic looms to produce fabrics ranging from 54 cm to 162 cm width, with thread densities reaching 300 threads per pouce lyonnais.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Permanent Collection A curated selection of silk and luxury fabric designs available for purchase by the meter from Prelle's permanent collection, including damasks, brocatelles, velvets, shaped satins, lampas, and brocatelles in multiple historic styles, available in standardized widths (typically 128 cm) and multiple colorways per design. Sold to interior designers, decorators, and high-end residential clients.
• Bespoke (Fabrications spéciales) Custom fabric creation service where unique fabrics are produced to specification for specific projects, including wall coverings and bespoke silk damasks. Includes unique colorways, custom widths up to 162 cm, bespoke weave structures, and functional treatments such as water-repellent finish applied at the yarn-dyeing stage. Pricing is project-specific and quote-based.
• Brocatelle Horus Brocatelle fabric available in 4 colorways (Ref. P67494) and sold by the meter from the permanent Collection for interior decoration projects.
• Cascatelle Fabric available in 4 colorways (Ref. P69791), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Aramis Fabric available in 4 colorways (Ref. P69788), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Li Banana Fabric available in 4 colorways (Ref. P69516), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Rocaille Rocaille fabric (Ref. P66101), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Exposition 1925 Fabric inspired by the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs, available in 4 colorways (Ref. P67409), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Les Danseuses Fabric featuring a dancer motif, available in 4 colorways (Ref. P69766), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Damas Madame Denis Silk damask available in 6 colorways (Ref. P89672), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Droguet Choisy Fabric available in 6 colorways (Ref. P69763), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Damas Moiré Adélaïde Moiré-effect silk damask in Louis XV style, 100% silk, 128 cm width, 40 cm repeat, available in 7 colorways (Ref. P89127), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Jacobean Shaped satin in Louis XIV style, 100% silk, 128 cm width, 31 cm repeat, available in 4 colorways (Ref. P69764), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Gloria Shaped satin in Régence style, 51% silk 49% cotton, 128 cm width, 22 cm repeat, available in 5 colorways (Ref. P69765), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Velours de soie strié Striped silk velvet, 100% silk, 65 cm width, no repeat, available in 6 colorways including the Strié Vert colorway used for the Frick Collection West Gallery (Ref. P226). Sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Damas Rochester Damask, 66% cotton 34% silk, 128 cm width, 120 cm repeat, available in 7 colorways (Ref. P87086), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Fleuret chevron Chevron-patterned fabric in fibranne and linen, 127 cm width, no repeat, available in 28 colorways (Ref. P8233), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Damas Rivoli 100% silk damask, 128 cm width, no repeat, available in 6 colorways (Ref. P89686), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Océan Shaped satin in Modern style, 51% silk 49% fibranne, 126 cm width, 35 cm repeat, available in 5 colorways (Ref. P69747), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Damas Le Châtelet Damask in Napoléon III style, 100% silk, 128 cm width, 75 cm repeat, available in 4 colorways (Ref. P89688), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Empreintes Ethnic-style toile, 92% fibranne 8% linen, 124 cm width, 35 cm repeat, available in 5 colorways (Ref. P69732), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Clémentine Brocatelle in Louis Philippe style, 58% linen 42% silk, 128 cm width, 69 cm repeat, available in 6 colorways (Ref. P64216), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Jet d'Eau Shaped satin in Art Déco style, 100% silk, 128 cm width, 54 cm repeat, available in 6 colorways (Ref. P69757), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Damas Reflets Damask, 65% cotton 35% silk, 128 cm width, 43 cm repeat, available in 6 colorways (Ref. P89668), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Ecouen Toile in Louis XIII Renaissance style, 77% fibranne 21% cotton 2% viscose, 124 cm width, 68 cm repeat, cut to match, available in 3 colorways (Ref. P98529), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Kouba Shaped satin, 51% cotton 34% fibranne 15% linen, 128 cm width, 46 cm repeat, available in 4 colorways (Ref. P69518), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Brocatelle Clé des songes Brocatelle, 56% linen 34% cotton 10% silk, 128 cm width, 150 cm repeat, available in 4 colorways (Ref. P79632), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Kumori Fabric available in 6 colorways (Ref. P69756), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Taille Douce Lilium Shaped satin in Empire-restauration style, 60% cotton 40% silk, 128 cm width, 89 cm repeat, sold to repeat, available in 4 colorways (Ref. P69709), sold by the meter from the permanent Collection.
• Heritage Restoration Commissions Specialized service providing precise reproduction of original historic silk fabrics for cultural institutions (museums, historic residences) using archival commission books, thread samples, and traditional weaving techniques. Demonstrated capability through the Frick Collection's West Gallery restoration (over 1,000 metres of silk velvet, 2023) and Oval Room (damas woven at 162 cm width without seam).

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,000 metres of silk fabric delivered for a single project (Frick Collection West Gallery, 2023), all woven in the Croix-Rousse workshops
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Annabelle Selldorf (Selldorf Architects)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Annabelle Selldorf's architecture firm led the comprehensive renovation program at the Frick Collection (completed 2023), for which Prelle was commissioned to reproduce and restore historic silk wall coverings. The collaboration required deep technical coordination between the architect's vision for the restoration and the manufacture's archival research and weaving expertise.
• Wim Goes Architectuur (Ghent)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ghent-based architecture studio designed the interior of a private residence in Deurle, Belgium, where textile, furniture, and architecture were conceived as a single composition. The studio collaborated directly with Prelle's atelier to develop the Distinct Oscillation II bespoke silk damask.
• Lisa Sophia Baerschneider (Antwerp)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTextile designer Lisa Sophia Baerschneider served as lead textile designer for the Distinct Oscillation II project, collaborating with Prelle's in-house cabinet de dessin on the translation of the artistic concept into woven matter, including the adaptation of the lancé découpé technique for the damask ground.
• Nick Oberthaler (Vienna)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist Nick Oberthaler contributed the original artwork concept for the Distinct Oscillation II damask project, extending his practice of visual oscillation and disrupted order into the woven textile medium.
• Leda 41 (Brussels)minorOthersBrussels-based textile services company credited for textile services on the Distinct Oscillation II project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rubelli: Venice-based heritage silk weaver (founded 1889) producing luxury damasks, velvets and brocades for interior decoration worldwide. Directly comparable to Prelle in scale, heritage positioning, and bespoke/architect project focus.
• Braquenié: Historic French fabric maker (now part of Pierre Frey) with roots in 18th-century Aubusson-style woven textiles. Directly comparable to Prelle in heritage positioning, restoration capability, and luxury interior target market.
• Tassinari & Chatel: Lyon-based silk weaver with 17th-century origins, producing lyonnais-style lampas, brocades and historic-pattern fabrics for haute decoration. The closest direct French peer to Prelle, operating in the same Croix-Rousse tradition with similar heritage-restoration capability.
• Fortuny: Venice-based heritage textile maker (founded 1907) producing handmade printed and woven fabrics for luxury interiors. Comparable to Prelle in artisanal heritage positioning, bespoke capability, and high-end decorator clientele.
• Zuber et Cie: French heritage manufacturer (founded 1797) famous for hand-printed wallpapers and textiles, serving historic châteaux and heritage institutions. Comparable to Prelle in French heritage positioning, institutional restoration clients, and luxury interior markets.
• Métaphores: French luxury textile brand (part of the Zuber group) producing high-end woven and printed fabrics for interior decoration, with comparable positioning in the haute décoration trade and similar institutional/hospitality clientele.
• Colefax and Fowler: British heritage fabric house specializing in classic English country-house weaves and prints. Comparable to Prelle in heritage positioning, designer-led distribution, and luxury residential interior target market.

Broad incumbents

• Pierre Frey: Major French heritage fabric house (founded 1930) offering a much broader catalog of weaves, prints, wallpapers and trims. Overlaps with Prelle in luxury interiors but at significantly larger scale and broader product breadth.
• F. Schumacher & Co. American heritage fabric and wallpaper house (founded 1889) with a broad luxury interior catalog. Comparable to Prelle in heritage brand positioning and U.S. designer/institutional client base, though at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Soieries du Mekong / Heritage French silk workshops: Other surviving Lyon-region silk ateliers serving a similar heritage-restoration niche. Comparable on craft capability but generally smaller or more narrowly focused than Prelle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/prelle_cie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prelle-et-compagnie-sa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prelle et Compagnie