Installed in an ephemeral store on the Place de la Comédie since June 1, L’Atelier Tuffery, was one of the victims of looting by rioters in Montpellier, on the night of Saturday to Sunday. The store was completely robbed.
“In this ultra-tense context (…), talking about it does not enchant me, but to say nothing would mean that it is finally a worrying normality”, explains Julien Tuffery, its CEO and great-grandson of the founder. So he decided, on the social network LinkedIn, to react in his own way. By speaking directly to those who looted it. Not quite like Georges Brassens had done in his stanzas to a burglar, praising the “holy solidarity of craftsmanship”. But without hatred, which gives much more force to his remarks where he is sorry for the “injustice” felt by “all these professionals affected in spite of themselves”.
“I would like to invite you to visit our workshops”
“Dear thug/looter, I would so much like to meet you and invite you to come and visit our workshops, meet our teams and present to you all the mountain of work that you manage to undermine in a few minutes”, develops Julien Tuffery. “Dear thug/looter, I would so much like to explain to you that breaking storefronts, stealing jeans and computers is nothing compared to the moral harm you are doing to our team. These people could be your aunt, your father-in-law, your cousin, your friend, etc. In France, passionate and exciting people who do not deserve this. »
The more than 100-year-old brand, founded in 1892, has always refused to outsource its production. Despite costs out of all proportion to products made in Africa or Asia. Costs that are reflected in the purchase and make these clothes an expensive and therefore sought-after product. The jeans continue to be assembled by hand in Florac, in Lozère, where L’Atelier Tuffery employs thirty people.
“We will always have more energy than you”
“Rioters and looters sensitive to made in France and excellent French craftsmanship… Magnificent news for the French economy! “, underlines the great-grandson of the founder, keeping a smile in spite of everything… and his determination. “Dear thug/looter, know that the shop is operational again (…) So come and do your shopping during the day, you will come across incredible smiles that will always shed more light on the sordid shadow that you spread at night. Come back and break as much as you want, we will always have more energy than you to spread kindness and solidarity in the times to come. »