The clothing workshop, 7FASHION, formerly Lejaby, had regained financial balance until the departure of its largest client at the end of 2023. Since then, the Bourg-en-Bresse company has been in receivership and risks liquidation. The workshop is looking for a financial partner or a buyer.
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In this workshop in Bourg-en-Bresse, the atmosphere is particularly heavy this November 28. “We feel a lot of sadness at the idea of no longer working together, of having come all this way and of saying all that to each other for that“, sighs Valérie El Malihe, workshop manager for ten years and thirty years of seniority in lingerie making. Lhe oldest seamstresses experienced the Lejaby years, then the takeovers by Monette and 7FASHION in 2014.
It's hard to say to ourselves that we have arrived where we wanted and that this is the end, it's ugly.
Valérie El Malihe, workshop manager
“I still have a little hope, I tell myself that maybe someone will come and help us“, dares Meriman Délibas, seamstress.
In 2020, the 7FASHION workshop managed to reach the threshold of financial balance. But at the end of 2023, its biggest customer, Rejeanne, decided to relocate its production. Half of the workshop's production left and more than half of the turnover with it. The workshop was placed in receivership last February.
However, the order book is filling, activity is supported by historic customers or new collaborations. “We have a lot of work, so a lot of frustration to see the end coming.“, assures the workshop manager. Their customers include luxury brands like Courrèges and made in France like Slip Français. Different products to which we must adapt. “The time to train the teams in these new products luxury like bustiers or dresses, we have lost productivity but we intend to regain it”, assures Agathe Diaconu, director of 7FASHION.
“Each piece is different, it requires a lot of patience, skill and attention.”explains the workshop manager. Intense but exciting work for Valérie El Malihe. “Customers believe in us, we have work, it's the financial side that is the problem“.
Although the workshop has found customers and orders, balance has not yet been reached. However, the invoices are heavy and the administrator speeds up the procedure. In a week, the workshop will return to court, a request for conversion of the procedure to transform the recovery into liquidation has been filed and will be examined. “We want to save jobs, we have a vision and know-how.“, pleads the director.
“What seems unfair to me is that by losing almost half of my turnover, I am being asked to do in ten months, what we did in eight years when we rebuilt the workshop.“, explains Agathe Diaconu.
7FASHION would need time, and a little more money. A fundraising campaign is launched on the internet: “Save my panties made in France”. Objective: 30,000 euros. So far, 2476 euros have been collected.
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