Schumacher Acquired Historic Vanoutryve Textile Archive
Designers and historians will gain access to 75,000 vintage fabric samples from the century-old French mill.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Interior Decorating
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F. Schumacher & Co. has acquired the majority of the Vanoutryve mill archive, securing over 75,000 textile samples and 1,500 swatch books. This collection preserves materials dating from 1870 to 1960 from the historic French producer.
Why it matters
This acquisition secures a significant portion of textile design history for future research and inspiration. It also honors the brand heritage of F. Schumacher & Co., as its founder, Frederic Schumacher, once served as a textile agent for the Vanoutryve mill.
The archive includes more than 75,000 samples and 1,500 swatch books spanning 90 years of production history. The material comes from the Vanoutryve mill, which operated for 150 years and once employed 4,500 workers before closing in 2019.
The players
F. Schumacher & Co.
A New York-based design house known for high-end textiles and wallpapers with a long history in the industry.
Felix Vanoutryve
The founder of the historic French textile mill that operated for 150 years.
Frederic Schumacher
The founder of the F. Schumacher & Co. brand who historically served as a textile agent for the Vanoutryve mill.
The details
The textile collection is currently being processed by Schumacher's in-house archival staff for conservation and cataloging. To ensure the physical integrity of the century-old drawings and fabric samples, the entire collection is being stored in a climate-controlled facility. This environment prevents degradation of the vintage fibers, allowing internal design teams and researchers to study the techniques and patterns from the 1870-1960 period.
Timeline
1860: Felix Vanoutryve founded the mill in Roubaix, France.
1870-1960: The period covered by the acquired textile samples.
2019: The Vanoutryve mill permanently ceased operations.
The Home Front
This acquisition aligns with a growing trend among heritage brands to secure historical production archives against loss. It mirrors institutional efforts to maintain design archives like the preservation of the Paul Poiret collection.
Designers and homeowners interested in vintage textile aesthetics can look forward to seeing patterns from this archive appearing in future collections. If you are sourcing historic fabrics for a restoration project, monitor the brand's upcoming announcements regarding new designs inspired by these archives.
The takeaway
Preserving these historic fabrics ensures that classic design motifs remain accessible for modern interior applications. Follow the company’s official announcements to learn when items from the new collection will be available for residential use.
Further reading
Explore more design history and fabric trends in our Interior Decorating section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Textile World.
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