Bertille Pelardy: A story of family and fabrics
Meeting with Bertille Pelardy, CEO of STOF, discussing her history and passion for fabrics.
Daughter of the founder of STOF, Bertille Pelardy grew up surrounded by rolls of fabric before joining the family business in 2004. Today, she brings a very personal vision of textiles: a world of materials, colors, prints, and emotions, dedicated to creating a warmer home.
You grew up among the bolts of fabric. What does this world mean to you?
Textiles are truly a part of my family history. My father founded STOF with my mother in 1987, focusing on fabric by the meter. I was little at the time, and I grew up surrounded by boxes, but above all, in the middle of rolls of fabric.
This story goes back even to the previous generation, since my grandfather was a lace-maker. Fabric has always been present around me: in the business, in conversations, at home. My sister joined the company through design, while I, initially, was heading toward law studies. Finally, I joined the company in 2004.
At that time, STOF was already experiencing a true professional adventure in the world of sold-by-the-meter fabric, while also developing its range of home textiles. Today, we have retained this original expertise, offering our customers both sold-by-the-meter fabric and ready-to-use home products: curtains, cushions, throws, and bed linen.
Where does your passion for fabrics come from?
It is above all a family story. We were very close, we worked together, and we have always loved beautiful things, interior design, and the home. Textiles were everywhere.
But beyond family history, I believe that fabric is a material we grow attached to because it is alive. A fabric is looked at, touched, felt. A color never quite lives the same way in a photo as it does in reality. A weave, a print, an embroidery, a texture can completely change the perception of a product.
That is why we place a great deal of importance on showrooms and the physical presentation of collections. Fabric needs to be seen in real life. It also sometimes has a scent, especially when it is linen or cotton. It is a very sensory material.
What does fabric change in a home?
Fabric brings warmth to an interior. A home without fabric can quickly feel cold. Curtains, throws, cushions, and bed linen create a more welcoming, comforting atmosphere.
Fabric also allows the home to speak. In March, you might want floral cushions to bring in the spring. In November, you might prefer a more wintery print, almost alpine, because you want to feel cozy. Fabric is a wonderful medium for emotion.
That is also what makes it very vibrant: it allows you to transform a mood without changing your entire interior. A color, a material, or a pattern can be enough to tell the story of a new season.
Color holds a strong place at STOF. What does it represent for you?
Color is truly our thing. STOF is known for its prints and colors. We have built a large part of our image on this desire to bring color into our collections.
For me, color immediately gives character to a product. It can be soft, fresh, deep, bold. It allows you to tell the story of a season, an atmosphere, a mood. Even a very classic pattern can be completely transformed by a more modern color palette.
That is what I love about textiles: the same spirit can endure through time, yet change eras thanks to a different proportion, combination, or color.
Do you have a favorite subject?
I always have a special fondness for cotton, but we work with all materials. We don't rule anything out. What interests me above all is the final look of the product.
Today, materials and blends make it possible to create very interesting effects. A product can evoke linen, offer a wonderful drape, add texture or softness, while meeting practical and budgetary constraints. Composition is important, of course, but the look, feel, and overall style are just as important.
How do you work with patterns?
We have an integrated design studio at STOF, and pattern plays a very important role in our work. We have a true passion for prints, and for what a motif can convey about a product even before it is placed in a home.
Certain themes naturally recur in our collections: nature, the mountains, the sea, the outdoors, charm... But we do not want to lock STOF into a single pattern. Each collection has its own desires, colors, and stories. A pattern can be floral, botanical, more graphic, more folk, or more Japanese-inspired. What matters is that it has a true intention.
We also love to reinterpret the great classics. A Toile de Jouy or a gingham check can span the decades, but a color, a proportion, or a combination of patterns immediately places them back in a specific era. That is what is so exciting about our profession: fashion is an eternal recurrence, but every return brings a fresh perspective.
To go further
From her family history to her vision of textiles, Bertille Pelardy also shares her thoughts on creation, trends, and how to think about the home.
Read his column «From textile to style: our way of thinking about the home».
