Located in the Saint-Pierre district, the historic heart of Calais lacemaking, the International City of Lace and Fashion is accommodated in an authentic collective factory typical of the 1870s. At the height of its activities, the Boulart factory – named after its builders – had 80 tulle and lace looms in constant operation.

Acquired by the Municipality in 1987, the site, an irreplaceable piece of our architectural heritage, has been restored throughout, and enlarged by addition of a contemporary extension whose flowing lines were designed by Moatti et Rivière. Its glass façade, screen-printed with Jacquard card motifs, gives the premises a new identity, determinedly turned towards the future.

Collections are exhibited over a surface area of some 2500 m2, divided up into five galleries highlighting the know-how and techniques behind lacemaking, the uses to which lace has been put, and its place in the world today in such fields as fashion, design, and applied arts.

The City is host to a whole range of events all year long – including temporary exhibitions in the imposing glass-roofed hall, lectures and parades in the auditorium, and introductory workshops in lacemaking techniques and in fashion and design creation.

The resource centre provides professionals and researchers with a specialised library and a “tissutheque” (fabric library).

And finally, the restaurant giving on to the City’s inner courtyard and the shop on the canal side both provide highly agreeable ways of prolonging the pleasure of your visit!