A story that lasts...
FOR MORE THAN 85 YEARS
1925
This is the year it all began. Returning from military service, Juste Lucain Husseau and René Moynaton joined forces to acquire a plot of land in La Plainelière de Courlay in Deux-Sèvres. On this plot, they constructed their first building (which still stands) to house looms. The business then began with the production of simple raw materials, cotton canvas and twill.
1934
Juste & René gradually became known for the quality of their manufacturing. Fabrics that last, fabrics that resist wear and tear and whose color holds up to washing. These materials made it possible to make solid, high-quality, made-in-France clothing that lasted a very long time (an essential condition at the time). Gradually, “QUI DUR” became KIDUR. And it was on the cover of the 1934 collection that we saw the KIDUR brand appear for the first time.
1935
The KIDUR trademark was registered on October 28, 1935, along with its original logo. The “KIDUR” fabric is resistant to wear. This officially marked the beginning of the Kidur adventure, which will continue to be manufactured at Plainelière de Courlay.
1939
KIDUR's weaving business, with its 20 looms, was slowed by the outbreak of war and difficulties in obtaining cotton yarn. During the occupation, Juste Husseau and one of his friends, Jacques Roy, took in and hid people who were refusing to undergo compulsory labor in Germany at La Plainelière. As a sign of resistance, they also welcomed English officers and airmen and ensured their escape from France. It was at the end of hostilities, sensing the shortage of fabrics linked to the lack of production in recent years, that the two founders decided to build a new workshop, where 48 looms would be refurbished by these patriotic and allied soldiers.
1945
1945, end of hostilities. Juste & René develop the clothing business that endures. The clothing workshop is expanded and equipped with a vocational training school. From the age of sixteen, young boys and girls from the canton go to work at Kidur with the certainty of learning a trade, whether weaving or sewing. This desire to maintain and pass on know-how will never leave us.
1960/70
L'AGE D'OR A LA PLAINELIERE
C’est l’âge d’or de la manufacture Kidur. Près de 400 personnes tissent, coupent et confectionnent au quotidien toutes les pièces du vestiaire masculin fonctionnel. Avec pour seules obsessions : la qualité, la durabilité. A cette époque Kidur est vendu en France grâce à une escouade de vendeurs, bien connus pour leurs camions KIDUR. Les représentants Kidur parcourent la campagne et proposent aux boutiques, ou directement aux consommateurs les produits de la manufacture. A l’époque, Kidur fabriquait pantalons, côtes, chemises, surchemises, vestes et salopettes. Ces vêtements constituaient le vestiaire essentiel du travailleur. Des pièces de cette époque se retrouvent aujourd’hui dans les boutiques Vintage du monde entier.
1988
The factory is facing difficulties, and Made in France clothing is being shunned in favor of imported products. Executives who are ardent defenders of Made in France are taking up the torch and deciding to use the factory's expertise to benefit other activities, such as manufacturing for luxury brands.
Kidur continues to be manufactured in Courlay, but in a reduced proportion.
2018
The factory decides to restart the machine and highlight its little piece of heritage.
Our long-standing team has designed and developed a new collection inspired by our precious heritage. It brings together vintage Kidur designs, archives, stories, and memories from our former seamstresses.
Kidur is then offered to the greatest number of people, via a collection of clothing made in France, in Courlay, in the original workshop.
2025
100 years later, the brand's cradle, the industrial site, is still in operation. The company now has 80 members, half of whom are artisan seamstresses. Kidur represents the desire of a French clothing company to combine traditional know-how and historical heritage with a modern organization. Based on these original values, the factory strives every day to create and distribute a range of well-designed, high-quality clothing. Kidur offers more than just a wardrobe; it's a state of mind, the desire to take the time to make clothes in France that last.
A short sentence describing what someone will receive by subscribing.