Français (French) Version
Tradition
19
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On March 4, 1927, two friends, Juste Husseau and René Moynaton, founded the company Husseau-Moynaton on rue des Tisserands,
in the hamlet of La Plainelière, halfway between Nantes and Poitiers.
Their small weaving workshop began operations with four looms.
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The first factory expansion enabled them to install 20 looms to make cloth for handkerchiefs and work-shirts.
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As the factory’s capacity for cloth production grew, it began to manufacture an ever increasing range of prints and colours.
Today, our oldest collection of Kidur fabric dates back to 1934. All the prints created since are treasured assets that we keep at our factory.
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With the outbreak of WWII, in 1939, thread became scarce and weaving dropped 80%.
Only a few looms continued to operate when diminishing supplies of cotton thread were eventually delivered.
Our last collection before the war was launched that year. The factory would become fully operational again after the liberation of France.
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During the war, Juste Husseau and another friend, Jacques Roy, took in and hid people trying to escape the dreaded STO (compulsory work service in Nazi Germany).
As a gesture of resistance, they also hosted English officers and pilots, ensuring their safe passage out of France.
At the end of hostilities, foreseeing the lack of cloth due to the drop in production over the previous years,
the two founders decided to build a new workshop, equipped with 48 looms that were repaired by those same loyal French and allied soldiers.
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The company also decided to diversify, producing shirts and workwear with the cloth made in its own workshops.
The company now employed ten people to weave the cloth and another ten to sew the clothes.
Around this time, the company began to specialize in factory and field clothes, using the original brand, Kidur
(evoking the French words for “lasting” or “sturdy” - “qui dure”).
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From 1950 to 1957, the brand flourished and the company expanded. The workforce rose from 20 to 140 employees, weaving and sewing to make high-quality,
hard-wearing shirts for work and leisure.
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Juste Husseau then retired and sold his stake to his friend Jacques Roy and his wife.
The company would henceforth be known as MOYNATON&ROY.
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A golden age in La Plainelière: the company employed around 325 people and produced close to 600,000 shirts per year,
some of which can still be purchased today at good vintage stores.
With new machinery and an increase in production, Moynaton&Roy became one of France’s five largest shirt manufacturers.
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René Moynaton retired and Jacques Roy was named CEO.
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With the arrival on the French market of imported shirts from business parks will low labor costs, the company ran into difficulties.
Gradually, the weaving side of the business declined. It was abandoned in 1986.
Shirt (tailored shirts in particular) manufacture became the sole activity.
88
Despite everyone’s efforts to keep the company afloat, Moynaton&Roy shut down in March of 1988.
However, the company’s expertise was taken over by a team of enthusiastic executives from a new company, la Confection des Deux-Sèvres (C2S) !
2018
In 2018, the brand Kidur was reborn under the guiding hand of vintage clothing expert Gauthier Borsarello. The new team is updating the brand’s traditional know-how and maintaining its original spirit by manufacturing products on the company’s original site.
From start to finish, the products are developed and manufactured at C2S, the brand’s birthplace, and sold exclusively on its website.
There is no middleman between the customer and the factory.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT :
Kidur clothes are designed in the company’s in-house design studio. The techniques used have been handed down over many years.
Finalizing Kidur designs is a fundamental step in the creation of our products. It includes :
Kidur clothes are designed in the company’s in-house design studio. The techniques used have been handed down over many years.
Finalizing Kidur designs is a fundamental step in the creation of our products. It includes :
- Creating patterns
- Making prototypes
- Grading designs
- Cutting the pattern according to the characteristics of the fabric (checks, weft and warp, knit, etc.)
CUTTING “Between tradition and modernity”
Properly cutting out checkered shirts requires deftness and accuracy. Cutting fabric - especially patterned fabric - requires significant experience, and human intervention is vital to ensure the front panels and collar points line up.
In order to achieve this, the layers of fabric are spread out by hand, one after the other, on a pin table so that the patterns are aligned.
Most of the cutting is carried out on automated cutting tables. However, some pieces require manual cutting with electric saws or scissors, following the contours of cardboard cutting templates.
Properly cutting out checkered shirts requires deftness and accuracy. Cutting fabric - especially patterned fabric - requires significant experience, and human intervention is vital to ensure the front panels and collar points line up.
In order to achieve this, the layers of fabric are spread out by hand, one after the other, on a pin table so that the patterns are aligned.
Most of the cutting is carried out on automated cutting tables. However, some pieces require manual cutting with electric saws or scissors, following the contours of cardboard cutting templates.
ARTISANAL ASSEMBLY 4.0"
The cut pieces are then assembled step by step, in the order dictated by traditional garment sewing methods.
Interlining
Traditionally, the cuffs and collars of Kidur clothing did not have interlining to enhance their stiffness. We decided to follow suit, keeping our cuffs and collars supple.
The cut pieces are then assembled step by step, in the order dictated by traditional garment sewing methods.
- Preparing the pockets, collars and cuffs
- Assembling the fronts and backs
- Assembling the sleeves and sides
- Sewing the collars and cuffs
- Finishing: attaching buttons and buttonholes, and ironing
Interlining
Traditionally, the cuffs and collars of Kidur clothing did not have interlining to enhance their stiffness. We decided to follow suit, keeping our cuffs and collars supple.
Label
The size and brand labels are printed on natural, plain weave cotton fabric. Free of synthetic material, they fray after the first wash, to give an authentic look.
The size and brand labels are printed on natural, plain weave cotton fabric. Free of synthetic material, they fray after the first wash, to give an authentic look.
Chain Stitching
Since the beginning, Kidur shirts have been sewn together with chain stitching. This traditional assembly method is perfect for creating robust seams. We use a double needle sewing machine to assemble our shirts, jackets and shop coats.
Since the beginning, Kidur shirts have been sewn together with chain stitching. This traditional assembly method is perfect for creating robust seams. We use a double needle sewing machine to assemble our shirts, jackets and shop coats.
Buttonholes
The buttonholes are sewn with dense, wide stitching in order to avoid fraying. This guarantees their durability and sturdiness over time.
The buttonholes are sewn with dense, wide stitching in order to avoid fraying. This guarantees their durability and sturdiness over time.
Studs
The “unbreakable” machine takes center place once again in the Kidur manufacturing chain, attaching new untreated brass tack buttons. Each button is attached manually.
The “unbreakable” machine takes center place once again in the Kidur manufacturing chain, attaching new untreated brass tack buttons. Each button is attached manually.
Packaging
Your Kidur items are packed in a Kidur box, along with a reprinted collectable vintage postcard.
Your Kidur items are packed in a Kidur box, along with a reprinted collectable vintage postcard.
Shipping
Our logistics team, proudly made up of Maryse, François and their set of scales, will be delighted to send your articles directly from the factory so they reach you as soon as possible.
Our logistics team, proudly made up of Maryse, François and their set of scales, will be delighted to send your articles directly from the factory so they reach you as soon as possible.
An iconic 1950s brand, Kidur was originally a workwear brand, known for its high-quality, extremely hard-wearing clothing.
Today, Kidur is back with a French-made collection offering timeless, vintage-style basics.
Our quality menswear articles, manufactured in our factory at La Plainelière de Courlay (Deux-Sèvres), are available in our online store.
We strove to create a stylish and authentic collection while maintaining Kidur’s trademark durability. This combination encapsulates the spirit of Kidur
and the skilled craftspeople behind it.
Furthermore, each piece features the year of manufacture on the label, making the collection unique.
