Who are we ?

Maison LAULHÈRE, 180 YEARS OF HISTORY AROUND THE BERET AND FRENCH MERINO WOOL

Founded in 1838 at the foot of the French Pyrenees by Lucien Laulhère, Maison Laulhère began crafting berets as early as 1840, relying on expertise passed down from generation to generation.

For over 180 years, we have never stopped making this iconic accessory — the beret, a true symbol of French elegance and a reflection of a rare ancestral heritage, today preserved by a handful of passionate artisans.

Each Maison Laulhère beret is the result of a commitment to quality and respect for the artisanal techniques that are at the heart of our craft. From the selection of raw materials to the final production in our workshops in Oloron-Sainte-Marie, every step is carried out with care to create a durable, authentic piece, rich in history.

Our ambition is to make the French beret shine around the world, to modernize it without ever denying its origins, and to continue this unique heritage, of which we are today among the last guardians.

• 1792 : Creation of Maison Laulhère in Oloron-Sainte-Marie by Pierre Laulhère, a wool merchant who starts to manufacture woollen stockings.
• 1838 : Lucien Laulhère, son of Pierre Laulhère, takes over the management of Maison Laulhère. At that time, Maison Laulhère was recognised for its know-how in the Béarn area as well as abroad.
• 1840 : Thanks to the marriage between Lucien Laulhère and Marie Tournaben, Maison Laulhère began manufacturing berets. It benefits from the know-how of the Maison Tournaben, which has been making berets since 1810. The transmission of know-how began and has continued ever since.
• 1890/92 : The workshops are installed on a new site, located on the banks of the Gave of Oloron-Sainte-Marie. Since that day, our workshops have not moved, but have undergone many changes and renovations.
• 1975/83 : Maison Laulhère develops its own beret knitting machines. This was the start of a series of innovations aimed at repeating the ancestral gestures of beret manufacturing, handed down from generation to generation.

• 2012 : Rosabelle Forzy is taking over the management of Laulhère, the last historical beret manufacturer, with the aim of promoting the made-in-France beret in France and abroad.

MAISON LAULHÈRE, 180 YEARS OF PASSION FOR THE BERET AND FRENCH MERINO WOOL

If the Maison Laulhère story has endured for over 180 years, it is above all thanks to the passion that has inspired each generation to contribute to the success and renown of the Maison.

From the very beginning, Pierre Laulhère, a visionary founder, stood out for his high standards in the selection of raw materials. He personally chose the finest merino wools, renowned for their softness and quality, travelling across Spain in search of the noblest fibers. This attention to detail and respect for materials would become the foundation of Laulhère excellence.

His son, Lucien Laulhère, shared that same high standard — but it was his focus on learning and passing on expertise that defined his path. Alongside his father-in-law, who came from a family of beret-makers, Lucien mastered the precise movements and ancestral techniques required to craft the Basque beret.

Since then, each generation has carried this legacy forward, enriching the tradition with a continuous quest for mastery, innovation, and modernity. At Maison Laulhère, tradition is never a barrier to innovation — it is its foundation. Our artisans continue to develop new crafting techniques, invent tools, and design original creations, all while preserving the gestures that are the soul of the beret.

Even today, this passion for the beret is passed on hand to hand, craft to craft, within our workshops in Oloron-Sainte-Marie, the historic home of the Maison. Each artisan contributes, through their expertise and dedication, to keeping this rare and precious heritage alive.