La Redoute, Roubaix

To appreciate the importance of this little tricotin,

we go back a little into the history of Roubaix, France.

Roubaix, in the region Nord Pas de Calais, became

a city with a booming textile and wool industry in the

19th century. There were 200 mills operating

around the city.

Around the 1920's a catalogue/mail-order

industry developed selling wools, patterns,

etc.

Because the town was still reeling from the

effects of WWI, one part of the plan

to get the wool industry back on its feet

was a promotional campaign - our

little "La Redoute" tricotin was offered

in these catalogues and sample leaflets

to help to sell more wool.

We find this tricotin still available

over time up to the 1950's.

In the 1960's onwards, the industry suffered

a decline being due to cheap imports which

also affected the British industry.

The 1970's up to the 2000's there were

thousands of job losses and buildings became

derelict.

However, Roubaix has now been "reborn" and

today we find, among others, fashion houses,

fashion and textile designers, marketing and

communications and home shopping companies,

and engineering colleges and teaching centres.

La Redoute district in the city 
of Roubaix, is now an
important mail-order

centre (La Redoute-Redcats, Damart,

Camaïeux and Phildar)

and also the "3 Suisses" wool company

is still in operation, creating wools, patterns,

catalogues, etc.

So, this little tricotin with its 

important role in advertising,

is an extremely

collectible spoolknitter to look out for!

>>>>o<<<<