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Our History

Creation :

The troubled years of the Revolution were followed by the conquering years of the Empire, before Paris returned to its calm and industrious ways under the leadership of its rightful king, Louis XVIII. Paris had always been a center of commerce, but by 1823 it had become a center of industry. Any luxury goods that were not made in the capital enjoyed no favor in the provinces," says Pochard, in his exposé of the critical situation of commerce in Paris. The "manufacturers'" warehouses for cloth and other textile products are squeezed together along the Rue de Cléry and the Rue de Bourbon-Villeneuve, now the Rue d'Aboukir. So it was only natural that when the company was founded in 1820, under the name AU VER A SOIE®, it moved to N° 235, rue Saint-Denis, adjacent to the former passage du Grand Cerf.
 
"De la création à la belle époque" :

The purpose of AU VER A SOIE® is to sell silk in bundles, dyed and unbleached, white and yellow raw silk, Alais silk, unbleached silk for networks, twisted and mottled cordonnets for purses, flat silk for embroidery, haberdashery, novelties, silk laces for the French departments and abroad.
In 1863, a label design with mulberry leaf and silkworm was registered with the Paris Commercial Court for balls, reels, skeins, cartons, boxes and packages of silk or silk floss. In 1865, on Saturday July 15, the names "La Mexicaine" and "La Parisienne" were registered as trademarks. Three years later, on Saturday May 16, 1868, the trademark "Au Ver à Soie® - 23, rue de Turbigo" was registered. On Saturday June 12, 1875, two copies of a drawing representing a silkworm were registered, together with the name "AU VER A SOIE®", which the company reserved as its exclusive trademark. This trademark was then applied to invoices, labels, leaflets, etc.
At that time, Au Ver à Soie® sold SOIE D'ALGER® in a range of 2688 colors, as well as sewing silks in a range of 780 colors.
Au Ver à Soie® works with fashion designers who are reviving the Gothic style and reviving the techniques of liturgical embroidery in silk and gold, in the vein of the Opus Anglicanum, as well as with the first couture houses, such as Charles Frédéric Worth's, which opened to great success thanks to the patronage of Empress Eugénie.
When Monsieur Louis Boucher took over on October 1, 1878, the company was located at n°23, on the corner of rue Saint-Denis and rue de Turbigo. For the quality of its silks, the company was awarded a bronze medal at the 1878 Paris Universal Exhibition. At this time, in addition to sewing and embroidery silks for saddlery and corsets, Ver à Soie also manufactured fishing products.
In June 1897, when the telephone published its first directory for the Paris region, the number assigned to Louis Boucher, Au Ver à Soie® was 152-92. The last four figures are still today.
 
French silk and Haute Couture shine all over the world.

Au Ver à Soie® is a major contributor to their reputation. The company's clientele already included many foreigners.
Louis Boucher died on June 1, 1901, leaving his young wife with 5 children (4 boys, the eldest aged 18, and a daughter). Madame Veuve Louis Boucher took over the management of the company, bringing on board her eldest son Auguste. The company prospers. The factory is located in Boulogne-Billancourt, near the family home and adjoining Louis Renault's automobile workshop. Madame Veuve Louis Boucher, a woman of character, was undoubtedly one of the first women in business. It was not uncommon in those days, when two colleagues had differences, to come and settle them in front of her, and her opinions were very much listened to.
We are on the eve of the First World War. In addition to Auguste Boucher, his brothers Marcel and Robert joined the company in 1911. Jean (19) finishes his studies. As the American market was expanding, it was decided that Robert would go to the U.S.A. to set up a branch. A major event thwarted these plans. 
On August 1, 1914, France, England, Russia, Italy and Belgium declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. Auguste Boucher is not drafted, but his brothers Robert and Jean are. Marcel is not mobilized, despite his stubbornness, due to a serious illness. The BOUCHER family paid a heavy price during the Great War. On September 6, 1914 at Sommaisne (Meuse), Robert fell on the field of honor. Two years later at Verdun, Jean also died for France. The loss of these two young men is a heavy handicap for society.
 
From the interwar period to the 21st century.

After the war, the creation of a branch in the U.S.A. had to be abandoned, and then the fishing division was spun off with the advent of nylon.
Au Ver à Soie® is restructured. It moved from 23, rue de Turbigo to 102, rue Réaumur, where it remains today.
Au Ver à Soie continues to develop its Couture, Embroidery and Canvas departments. It supplies all Parisian Haute Couture. New vital forces join the company. On October 1, 1924, Louis Boucher turned his attention to technical matters. He created the braided silk department for surgery. He was joined on October 1, 1930 by his brother Jacques Boucher, who took charge of sales and administration.
In the face of the global economic crisis, Au Ver à Soie is coping and holding its own.
It still manufactures the famous SOIE D'ALGER® in a range of around 600 colors, SOIE À COUDRE (Soie 1003) in a range of 780 colors, PURE SOIE CORDONNETS (Soie PERLEE®) in 365 colors, as well as SURFINE SOIE "Fil à gant" (Soie 1302), CORDONNET SCHAPPE (Soie 303). But also silks for footwear, necklaces, beads, hat veils, religious pompoms, dentistry, weaponry... . Once again, the horizon darkened. On September 3, 1939, France and England declared war on Hitler. Jacques Boucher is mobilized. He was taken prisoner in 1940 and escaped. Throughout the war, he was part of a resistance network that enabled Allied airmen who had fallen in France to escape to Spain. His work on behalf of American soldiers was recognized by the American authorities. General Eisenhower awarded her a message of gratitude for her courage. Once again, AU VER À SOIE® pays a heavy price. Following British R.A.F. bombing raids on the Renault factories, the factory and the family home were razed to the ground on the night of March 3 to 4, 1942. No sooner had the war ended than the company lost its Chairman and CEO, Auguste Boucher. He was succeeded by Louis Boucher.
Once again, we had to face up to the challenge and rebuild. This was no easy task, given the damage caused by the war. The company decided to take a different direction. It kept a workshop in Paris and organized itself around subcontracting. However, products continued to be manufactured to the company's own standards. A collection of threads for passementerie and African embroidery is developed.
 
"Les 30 Glorieuses"
 
The silk industry was severely disrupted by the war. On the initiative of French industrialists, the Association Internationale de la Soie (A.I.S.) was created, and its first congress was held in France in 1948. Mr. Jacques Boucher was appointed rapporteur for the Sewing and Embroidery Threads section. On July 1, 1955, he was honored by the confidence of his fellow members of the Chambre Syndicale des Soies et Rayonnes Ouvrées by becoming their President, then Assessor to the Commission d'Expertises Douanières. AU VER A SOIE® returns to the U.S.A. The arrival on March 1, 1968 of Jean-Marie Boucher, a graduate of the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce et d'Administration des Entreprises, gave a decisive boost to relations with international customers. AU VER A SOIE® is now present on every continent.
In 1971, Louis Boucher retires and is succeeded as Chairman and CEO by his brother Jacques. He is assisted by his two sons, Jean-Marie and Jean-Jacques, who joined the company on June 1, 1966, after graduating from the Ecole Supérieure des Industries Textiles d'Epinal.
Le Ver à Soie® develops the Soies à Tricoter sector by hand and creates in 1977 a metallized thread for embroidery and knitting commercialized under the AU SEXTANT® brand. This trademark, owned by AU VER A SOIE® since its foundation, represents a ship's bow. Thanks to the technical manufacturing process developed by AU VER A SOIE®, this thread is incomparably supple and suitable for all types of needlework.
 
4th generation Boucher takes the reins

At this time, Jean-Marie Boucher was elected President of the Union des Commerçants et Artisans du 2ème arrondissement de Paris. In July 1979, he became Chairman and CEO of AU VER A SOIE®, and in 1980, President of the Chambre Syndicale des Soies et Rayonnes Ouvrées, succeeding his father. Two years later, he was elected member of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he served as deputy treasurer from 1992. He was also elected Chairman of the Union Territoriale des Petites et Moyennes Industries d'Ile de France in 1983, and National Vice-Chairman in 1997. He is currently Chairman of the Small Business Club and a member of the Board of Directors of Paris-Ile de France, Capitale Economique.
In 1984, AU VER A SOIE® entered the silk engineering business. First by manufacturing ties woven in France using the Jacquard process. Initially in the colors of French Army regiments, they were later specially created with the logos of companies such as Henri Wintermans (Chambord and Café Crème cigars), the city of Rennes, the Centre Sportif d'Equitation Militaire de Fontainebleau, the Musée des Invalides... Then by making squares and flat-frame printed ties, a technique known as "A la Lyonnaise".
In 1985, Jean-Jacques Boucher is appointed Assessor to the Commission d'Expertise douanière for silk yarns.
In 1986, Ver à Soie® invents a special natural hand-care cream. It is the fruit of laboratory-controlled research by professionals in the manufacture of natural silk yarns, with the aim of preventing the yarns from snagging on the fingers during handling. It is developed, tested and manufactured under the supervision of Professor Ph. Courtois, expert in pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Poitiers. Its use is recommended in manufacturing units in the textile industry and in general to facilitate delicate work such as embroidery, knitting or sewing. The cream was authorized for export to the U.S.A. by the U.S. government, and was also approved by the Korean authorities.
In January 1991, Jean-Jacques Boucher was appointed silk expert at UNESCO, and in this capacity took part in the work of the international scientific team for Silk Roads, Roads of Dialogue. In 1992, he was one of the founding members of the Compagnie Nationale des Experts en Mode, Couture, Textile et Habillement and was appointed expert to the Paris Court of Appeal.
In 1993, AU VER A SOIE® took part in the major exhibition "Fil de Foi, Chemin de Soie", a project associated with the UNESCO Silk Roads in the prestigious Château de Chambord.
As in the past, AU VER A SOIE® continues to supply all the major couture and ready-to-wear houses and designers in France and abroad, including Christian Lacroix, Lanvin, Christian Dior, Jean-Louis Scherrer, Nina Ricci, Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent, Givenchy, Hanae Mori and others. He also contributes to the restoration of châteaux such as Versailles, Fontainebleau, Compiègne and the Louvre, as well as private collections.
 
The arrival of the 5th generation.

Today, the company's future looks assured with the arrival of the fifth generation in the direct line: Marc Boucher, a graduate of the Ecole Supérieure des Industries du Vêtement, and Nathalie Boucher-Bothorel.
Au Ver à Soie® is not resting on its laurels. Attentive to the demand generated by "the civilization of leisure", it is keen to network with its distributors so as to "stick" to customer demand. This is why, although AU VER A SOIE® probably offers the widest variety of silk yarns, it is constantly striving to create new products. Two current examples illustrate this point: the creation of an embroidery chenille in pure silk in a range of 23 colors; a 6-thread Filoselle-type mouliné called "Soie de Paris", which has the same construction as the famous Soie d'Alger® but offers a glossy texture and appearance because it is made from pure silk.
In addition, Ver à Soie® has selected a series of useful objets d'art to make life easier for "embroidery fans" (pewter pincushions, scissors, chatelaine, embroidery looms...). And, in response to the ever-growing knowledge of our customers, we offer professional embroidery looms on request.
Finally, to revive the company's tradition, Ver à Soie® is relaunching a range of 100% Silk fishing lines under the Pêche à Soie brand, positioning itself in the top-of-the-range fishing line category, bringing a product quality already recognized by professionals and well-informed amateurs alike.
 
The fire of 2015

On the night of February 19, 2015, the AU VER A SOIE® factory in Bracieux caught fire. Thanks to the rapid mobilization of the Bracieux and Blois-Sud fire departments, the blaze was brought under control shortly before 1:30 a.m., leaving a heap of color (silk being a flammable material, the skeins did not burn), ash and destroyed machinery.
Marc and Nathalie could count on the support of their employees, who despite being laid off did not hesitate to lend a hand in clearing the premises, and on the support of the local councillors, who enabled them to quickly find another production site until the factory could be rebuilt. The day after the tragedy, the two co-managers summed up their state of mind to journalists with a strong observation: "The company has been through two wars and was bombed in 1944, so a little fire isn't going to bring us down!
 
The future
 
The company was also awarded the prize for the RMC craft SME in the Paris basin.
Although 2020 marks the company's 200th anniversary, this does not mean that AU VER A SOIE® will be resting on the sidelines. In addition to developing new ranges such as the Chenille Satin, the company's managers are always challenging themselves to run a strong, modern company full of tradition, in order to offer its customers ever higher quality products that stand out from the competition. AU VER A SOIE® is constantly developing partnerships to promote the work of the hands, and is looking to develop all circuits around its thread, whether it be fishing, embroidery, lace, sewing, boutis, bookbinding, tapestry, catering... and all these fields highlighting the know-how of a job well done.
To continue its development, AU VER A SOIE® is increasingly present on the international scene, being represented on numerous markets in Great Britain, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Benelux, USA, Canada, Japan, Australia - New Zealand, Russia...
 

YESTERDAY, TODAY and TOMORROW, AU VER A SOIE® continues to spread its silk threads, precious Ariadne's threads linking centuries, civilizations and people.