In the Creuse region, the Lainamac association has breathed new life into the French wool industry, which was in need of revitalisation. Lainamac initiated a collaborative effort, pooling expertise and production tools, while also promoting a network focused on interior design. This ambitious challenge, which has now begun bearing its fruit, has earned the organization the Liliane Bettencourt Prize pour l'intelligence de la main® award in the Parcours category.

Created in 2009, Lainamac originally focused on transmitting artisanal skills of the wool trade. In just a few years, it successfully united key players in the local wool sector, from sheep farmers to artisans and artist manufacturers, breathing new life into the Creuse region. It soon expanded its activities on a national scale, supporting the resurgence of French businesses involved in wool-based handmade artisan production. Today, it boasts a training center, shared textile workshops, and provides support and guidance to businesses in the philosophy of a responsible shared economy.

Lainamac | Prix Liliane Bettencourt pour l'Intelligence de la Main - Parcours 2023

"This project captivated me with its sincerity and fairness; its respect for living, real production and its deep regional roots in connection to primary resources, its inhabitants, and its craftsmanship."

​Yann GrienenbergerDirector of the Centre International d'Art Verrier in Meisenthal, Parcours 2014 prize-winner, member of the 2023 Jury.

  • On the left, Jory Pradelle, President, and Géraldine Cauchy, Director of Lainamac, and the team of employees, in the Creuse region in July 2023.
    © Julie Limont pour la Fondation Bettencourt Schueller
  • Craftswoman-trainer accompanying a student in the use of a loom, at the Lainamac training center.
    © Julie Limont pour la Fondation Bettencourt Schueller
  • Student using a loom at the Lainamac training center.
    © Julie Limont pour la Fondation Bettencourt Schueller
  • Student using a loom at the Lainamac training center.
    © Julie Limont pour la Fondation Bettencourt Schueller
  • Artisan holding a piece of wool at Villa Châteaufavier - les ateliers partagés.
    © Julie Limont pour la Fondation Bettencourt Schueller
  • Artisan holding a piece of wool at Villa Châteaufavier - les ateliers partagés.
    © Julie Limont pour la Fondation Bettencourt Schueller

Lainamac, the Renaissance of 100% French Wool

Lainamac’s journey began in 2009 with the establishment of the association in Felletin, Creuse. Over the years, it has brought together and supported over 30 businesses in the region’s wool industry. This successful expansion and growth enabled the creation of its own training center entirely dedicated to wool craftsmanship in 2012. The center welcomes a diverse public, including businesses, designers, art students, and people undergoing professional retraining. Committed to aligning with the best names in contemporary creative sphere, since 2019, Lainamac has been showcasing its work at Paris Design Week in its showroom Oh my laine. This initiative, which has received multiple awards, has spurred the association to expand its sustainable economic model nationwide.

  • 2009 Lainamac association established

  • 2012 Training center inauguration

  • 2015 Participation in the “Révélations” trade show with a shared booth

  • 2019 “Oh my laine” event showroom held in Paris for the first time

  • 2023 Winner of the Liliane Bettencourt Prize pour l'intelligence de la main