Hand in Glove

It all goes back to Roquefort. The little Aveyron town of Millau, recently rendered world famous by its soaring new viaduct, became France’s glove capital thanks to the thin, supple and beautiful lambskin from the same breed of sheep whose milk is used to make the famous cheese. Glove making in Millau dates back to the Middle Ages, and by the early 20th century the city was the major supplier of hand-cut and hand-sewn gloves to haute couture houses worldwide, peaking in 1963 when 82 gantiers plied their trade there. But changing fashions and the arrival of synthetics whittled that number down to one—Causse. The company was sold in 2003, but fourth-generation glovemaker Olivier Causse is still involved, now working with prize-winning designers Nadine Carel and Manuel Rubio in a luminous new showplace in Millau designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Applying traditional skills to exotic skins including ostrich, python and zebra, Gants Causse caters to such luxury clients as Chanel, Hermès and Saint Laurent, but also produces high-quality gloves under its own, more affordable label. The first Causse boutique, also Wilmotte-designed, recently opened near the Place Vendôme in Paris.

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Originally published in the December 2007 issue of France Today.