Arles and the Arlésienne

The elegant dress of Arlésienne women is one of the enduring symbols of Arles and Provençal culture today, with elaborate fabrics, headdresses and jewellery.

We enjoy the very special honour of meeting a former Queen of Arles! She will kindly share the stories behind this wonderful tradition through rich silk fabrics, velvet ribbons and gorgeous heirloom jewellery.

The recently opened Musée de la Mode et du Costume – Fragonard offers a captivating glimpse into fashion and southern French life from the 18th century onwards, while the Musée Arlaten provides a broader context for the culture and traditions of the region. A wonderful beginning to our story!

Marseille: The Great Mediterranean Port

Textiles, ideas, crafts, colours and influences arrived into Marseille from North Africa, the Ottoman world, India, Persia and China. Among them were the colourful printed and hand-painted cottons known as indiennes, chintz imported from India and celebrated for their exotic floral designs and vivid colours.

We enjoy a guided visit to Maison Empereur, the legendary family-run store founded in 1827. Its extraordinary collection of traditional objects, tools, textiles and everyday goods offer a wonderful window into the material culture of Provence.

We’ll stroll along the romantic Old Harbour to MUCEM, one of France's most impressive museums where Mediterranean cultures, trade, craft and everyday life come together. Finally, we wander through the atmospheric streets of Le Panier, with its winding lanes, colourful façades and inviting terraces, discovering another side of Marseille's rich cultural heritage.

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue: Wool, Waterways and Brocante

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is an enchanting town of waterways, antique dealers and brocante. We explore its celebrated antiques markets and brocantes, searching for vintage textiles, antique linens, buttons, trimmings and other wonderful materials to inspire our own creative collections.

We are guided through the town by a textile expert, as she introduces us to its enthralling textile history and reveals stories hidden amongst its streets, waterways and historic buildings.

The town's textile story is inseparable from the river Sorgue itself. For centuries, its waterways powered mills and supported a thriving wool industry, making L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue an important centre for the manufacture of woollen cloth. At Brun de Vian-Tiran, this family-run business continues a 200 year old tradition, preserving generations of knowledge and expertise in wool and fine fibres.

Tarascon: The Colours of Provence

In the charming town of Tarascon we pass the cheerfully painted houses to follow the story of chintz fabrics, tissu indiennes and the evolution of Provençal printed textiles.

At the Souleiado Museum, we discover the history of one of the last great Provençal manufacturers of printed fabrics, exploring the patterns, colours and motifs that have become so closely associated with the visual identity of Provence.

Next we visit Olivades, a family-run textile house whose story reaches back to 1818. Continuing the tradition of Provençal textile printing, Olivades creates vibrant fabrics filled with the floral, botanical and geometric motifs that have become synonymous with the region. Their work offers an inspired connection between historic indiennes and the continued vitality of Provençal textile design today.

Calvisson: The Art of Boutis

A quiet village where we discover one of Provence's most delicate and distinctive textile traditions, Boutis.

At the Maison du Boutis, we explore exceptional 18th and 19th century examples of this exquisite whitework technique, in which tiny stitches outline intricate motifs that are padded from the reverse to create a beautifully sculptural surface. The collection reveals how Boutis embellished the fabric of aristocratic households, appearing in trousseaux, ceremonial garments and textiles marking important moments such as births, marriages and religious occasions.

Recognised as part of France's Intangible Cultural Heritage, Boutis offers a alluring glimpse into the savoir-faire, patience and extraordinary skill behind one of southern France's most distinctive textile arts.

Nîmes: The Story of Denim

In Nîmes, a city steeped in Ancient Roman history, we encounter one of the most compelling and far-reaching chapters in the textile history of southern France: the story of denim.

At the Musée du Vieux Nîmes, we explore the city's textile past and discover how cloth played an important role in its economic and social history. The story of serge de Nîmes allows us to look beyond the familiar blue jeans to unravel the extraordinary journey of a locally manufactured textile to a fabric recognised and worn across the world. It’s a wonderful reminder that some of the world's most familiar textiles have surprisingly unexpected origins!

Arles: A Day of Traditional Crafts and Vintage Treasures

Our final day is spent enjoying the pleasures of Arles itself, wandering its beautiful streets and discovering the city's wonderful traditional shops, artisanal makers and independent boutiques.

We seek out Provençal perfumes and soaps at Maison Fragonard, discover traditional costume at Couleurs d'Arles, admire beautifully crafted hats at La Chapellerie Arlésienne, and browse vintage Provençal fashion at Ghostown. A leisurely browse for traditional crafts, beautifully made objects and textile-inspired treasures to take home.

This final day brings together many of the threads encountered throughout the week: costume, accessories, craft, colour, pattern, regional identity and the enduring appeal of things made by hand.

INTRODUCTION