1897. Birth of the “Sans & Garcerie” factory.

Up in the mountains… the history of the sandal industry was introduced to Saint Laurent de Cerdans around 1860.

In a small village nestled between the slopes of Haut-Vallespir, a Sans & Garderie factory was born in 1897. In this factory, more than 300 workers braided rope and wove the canvas used to make espadrilles. The raw material (jute, hemp, cotton, linen) arrived in raw form and was entirely transformed on site. The beginning of the twentieth century marked the golden age of the sandal industry. Very quickly, its tremendous success linked to unique ancestral know-how and the progress of machines allowed sandal-making craftsmanship to dominate throughout Catalonia, and far beyond. The great tradition of Catalan canvases was born. Catalan linen had now acquired its letters of nobility.

1993. Sans & Garcerie renamed Les Toiles Du Soleil

Françoise and Henri Quinta, both Catalans by origin, bought the factory.

Renamed Les Toiles du Soleil, the factory in the colours "sanc i or" (blood and gold), the Catalan colours, gets back to work under the watchful eye of two young seamstresses in traditional dress setting a table, the company's new logo. Fabric samples stuck on sheets of cardboard yellowed by the years, hundreds of fabric references, thousands of documents archived for over a century by Sans & Garcerie, an inspiration that draws its originality from the factory's reserves: Les Toiles du Soleil dusts off Catalan weaving. The success is then international. Catalan stripes travel all over the world with the opening of many boutiques, particularly in Japan and the USA.

1997. Les Toiles Du Soleil labeled French Living Heritage Company.

Les Toiles du Soleil preserves within its walls in Cayrou an inexhaustible tradition of know-how, a guarantee of quality.

The ancestral techniques of our warpers and weavers, the traditional manufacturing processes that are still used today make this company an exceptional place, a true conservatory of industrial heritage that has completely disappeared elsewhere in France. This unique know-how was recognized by the State in 1999 with the obtaining of the label "Entreprise française du Patrimoine Vivant" which distinguishes French companies with excellent artisanal and industrial know-how.

2023. The company is acquired by JCST Holding

Under the leadership of a duo of entrepreneurs, Stéphane Torck and Jean-Christophe Astruc, Les Toiles du Soleil is entering a new era.

Passionate about the art of living and craftsmanship and convinced of the potential of manufacturing, Les Toiles du Soleil joins AT Groupe (JCST HOLDING). This acquisition allows it to benefit from a platform of skills and resources, allowing it to face the new challenges facing the artisans of Saint Laurent de Cerdans, such as the digital transition and development of canvases internationally.