The Heritage of the Agnelle's Founding Women
Located in Saint-Junien, known as the "City of the Leather Glove", in Limousin, the Agnelle glove-making came to light in 1937 thanks to Joseph Pourrichou. Director of the Limousin paper mills and great grandfather of Sophie Grégoire, currently at the helm, he created the glove workshop for his son Lucien.
Three Generations of Visionary Women
Marie-Louise Pourrichou
Josie Le Royer
Sophie Grégoire
During the Second World War, Lucien's wife Marie-Louise took over the reins of the company. Appreciated for her dedication and hard work, she built up strong relationships with suppliers, especially tanners. Faced with the decline of the glove industry, she increased the number of orders and built a modernist factory in the heart of Saint-Junien, consolidating the glove-making's reputation.
Her daughter, Josie Le Royer, combined creativity and pragmatism to innovate and broaden the company's horizons. She established partnerships with prestigious fashion houses such as Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, and with young creators such as Azzedine Alaïa, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Thierry Mugler. Under her management, AGNELLE has merged craftsmanship and creativity, making its mark in the world of luxury. At the same time, she developed a more accessible collection to diversify the offer.
Sophie Grégoire, Josie's daughter, joined the company in 1986. Driven by values of fairness and respect, she worked to preserve traditional techniques while adapting to changes in fashion and new technologies. In 1988, she set up a workshop in the Philippines where the artisans were trained by experts from Saint-Junien, thus complementing the local activity with top-quality leathers from French tanneries.
After selling the business to the American company Wells Lamont in 1999, Sophie Grégoire bought the factory back in 2001.
Her determination to cultivate craftsmanship and innovate has been recognised by several awards:
2010: Veuve Cliquot Businesswoman Prize,
2011: Knight's insignia in the National Order of the Legion of Honour,
2012: KBL Richelieu Grand Prize for the Entrepreneur of Values,
2021: Officer's insignia in the National Order of the Legion Honour.
