Labonal

Labonal has knitted socks in Dambach-la-Ville, in Alsace, since 1924. Salomon Lipovski founded it as La Bonneterie Alsacienne with the aim of making socks that do not fall down and that fit well while wearing slowly. The company grew into the first French supplier of socks to department stores and retailers. Later a team of managers led by Dominique Malfait, now its chief executive, bought the business. They chose to keep production in Dambach-la-Ville while much of the French textile industry moved abroad. The factory at 13 route de Blienschwiller was re-equipped with new-generation knitting machines to improve automation and precision. In 2024 the company marked its centenary. It now runs ninety knitting machines producing around 6,000 pairs a day. It holds the Alsace Terre Textile and France Terre Textile labels for wholly French manufacture. Materials include combed cotton and fil d'Ecosse. Linen and wool appear too, as do silk and cashmere. The factory says every pair is washed and softened before pressing. Each one is then checked by hand in the finishing workshop. The ranges cover plain and patterned dress socks and non-binding models. A La Frenchie line offers region-themed socks in organic cotton, and a Lin de France collection uses French linen. The Pulse sport range is made for hiking and cycling. Labonal opens the factory to visitors and lists its stockists across France. Its chief executive says the company has always produced in Alsace and would not be the same anywhere else.