Musée du Textile et de la Mode

About the museum

The museum occupies the former laundry of the Rivière Sauvageau, built from 1881 by Calixte Ouvrard to bleach linen, after the fire that destroyed his first workshop in 1880. Operations ceased in the early 1940s. The site, threatened with demolition, was later saved and restored by the town, an association and volunteers, with the help of the REMPART association. It remains a rare witness to linen work: its 26-metre chimney still dominates the neighbourhood.

The museum opened in 1995 as a pioneering project for the reuse of industrial heritage. The entrance hall, built the same year, is inspired by the Crystal Palace in London. The museum received the “Musée de France” label in 2002. The Friends of the Musée du Textile et de la Mode association supports its work, publishes the review “De fil en aiguille” and runs a bookshop.

The permanent route, “De la fibre au vêtement, l’histoire d’un territoire”, traces the textile industry of the Choletais from the 18th century to the present: weaving, finishing of fabrics and finished products such as household linen, handkerchiefs and clothing. In the hall, restored mechanical looms dating from 1910 to 1950 operate during demonstrations. Since 2003, a workshop set up in the former drying room has been weaving the Mouchoir rouge de Cholet, the town’s emblematic product, whose manufacture is documented as early as 1736. A seasonal garden showcases fibre plants such as flax and hemp, and dye plants.

Highlights

• Former 1881 linen laundry with its 26-metre chimney
• “De la fibre au vêtement” route
• Demonstrations of mechanical looms from 1910 to 1950
• Weaving workshop for the Mouchoir rouge de Cholet
• Garden of fibre and dye plants

Permanent exhibitions

• De la fibre au vêtement, l'histoire d'un territoire – Route on the textile industry of the Choletais from the 18th century to the present, from weaving to finishing, with an area devoted to household linen, handkerchiefs and clothing.
• Atelier de tissage du mouchoir rouge – Workshop set up in the former drying room, where the Mouchoir rouge de Cholet has been woven since 2003; restored mechanical looms operate in the entrance hall.

Founded

1995

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Every Saturday from October 1 to May 31.

Admission is also free for school groups, teachers and members of the Friends of the Musée du Textile et de la Mode association.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly

Access with a pushchair is indicated by the Cholet tourist office.

Getting there & parking

From Angers, Nantes, Niort or La Roche-sur-Yon, take the Cholet Centre exit and follow the direction of Beaupréau.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop of the Friends of the Museum (the review “De fil en aiguille”, a book on the handkerchief) and online shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit