 Up to the beginning of the 20th century, the Fil Au Chinois was one of the most well-known thread brands throughout France and Europe. For enthusiasts, the Fil Au Chinois represents a myth.
 The "Chinois" thread could have been in danger of disappearing had it not been for two, determined industrialists, Olivier and Bruno Toulemonde who realised the importance of reviving and prolonging the history of Fil Au Chinois.
Frédérique Crestin-Billet, a passionate collector and herself at the heart of the Sajou brand revival, is part of this joint venture to restore the quality packaging that was once the hallmark of Fil au Chinois.
The brand, fil au Chinois was registered in 1847, by Francois-Philibert Vrau who founded his company in Lille twenty years beforehand.
This was to protect an innovative method to present threads; spools surrounded with a label and placed in boxes. But the brand Fil au Chinois really took off
in the 1850's with the arrival of Philibert Vrau, the director's son.
This remarkable person lead an unusual life.
 Single by choice, Philibert Vrau (1829-1905) never ceased to successfully run his company and donated all
profits towards social causes. An important figure amongst Lillois businessmen, he was the main founder of ICAM, a Catholic Engineering School.
He directed Vrau with incredible business acumen. His success is an example, especially when we know he rarely worked at Vrau full time.
Success was immediate; annual sales in 1864 of 282,000 boxes soared to 1,950.000 in 1875.
One box contained 48 spools each 50 meters long which represeted at peak sales; 93 million spools, the equivalent of three spools per Frenchman per year!
Then, like many other brands in Northern France, the Fil au Chinois had a long period of decline mainly due to the first domestic sewing machines which were unsuitable for linen threads, industrial difficulties, inappropriate commercial policies...
While production numbers for the fil au Chinois didn't stop
decreasing, the interest for publicity objects and old products only increased for seasoned collectors.
The name, fil au Chinois, dates back to a period in France when anything Oriental was fashionable. This interest for the Orient became very popular with the expedition to Egypt in 1798, by Bonaparte (the future Napoléon), Algeria's conquest by France (1830) and twenty-five years later the opening up of China and Japon only reinforced this interest.
The beginning of the brand Au Chinois was at the heart of this cultural movement. The idea was a success as it permitted the creation of a character easily identifiable and now legendary.
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