THREE GENERATIONS, ONE SAME SOUL
A story that begins long before Arpe existed
The essence of Arpe begins in the 1930s, when Montse & Joan's maternal grandparents (they are the founder of the third generation) opened a small weaving workshop in Argentona (Catalonia, Spain). They produced white cotton underwear in a post-war era where colours and prints didn’t yet exist. They were difficult times, but also extraordinary ones: craftsmanship, dedication, and a great deal of ingenuity.
That entrepreneurial spirit became deeply ingrained in the family. Both Montse & Joan’s mother and father grew up surrounded by needles, patterns, machines, and fabrics. Their childhood unfolded among spools of thread and the smell of cotton.
The second generation: a brilliant mechanic and a self-taught seamstress
Montse & Joan’s father, a mechanic by vocation and an inventor by nature, is a key figure in Arpe’s story. With a single knitting machine he found in a chicken coop, he restored it with his own hands and created special fabrics for underwear. That small machine was the first step in an adventure that would eventually grow into one of the important textile companies in Canet de Mar (Catalonia, Spain).
Over the years, he began developing technical fabrics, especially for the automotive industry, such as the famous lint-free cleaning cloths: an invention he patented and that revolutionised the sector.
Meanwhile, Montse & Joan’s mother, self-taught and passionate about garment making, created patterns and fashion pieces in another family workshop. As Montse said, there was “the men’s factory,” their father’s, and “the women’s factory,” their mother’s; and both grew within the family universe.
The third generation: when creativity and business vision unite
As time passed, Montse, a graphic designer, and Joan, an economist and textile engineer, decided to carry on the family legacy. They brought together two worlds that seemed opposite: creativity + business strategy.
The idea that changed everything came thanks to a coincidence: a call from Mercedes-Benz searching for a new type of microfiber cleaning cloth to gift to their clients. Montse saw an opportunity and imagined a completely new product: a promotional cleaning cloth personalised with digital images.
This idea gave birth to what would later become Arpe.
The birth of an iconic product
They began experimenting with fabrics, sublimation, and microfiber long before the technology was widespread. The first cleaning cloths were made using a sublimation iron on the office desk. Everything was manual, handcrafted, intuitive.
But the gamble paid off: the first major orders from Essilor/Varilux confirmed they had created a unique product in the market.
It was the first step in a new way of working: knitting, printing, and sewing textile products that were useful, beautiful, and sustainable.
A conscious company before sustainability became a trend
Arpe Shop didn’t appear out of nowhere. It is the continuation of a long tradition:
– knitting at home,
– creating with our hands,
– and making products that last.
Over time, Arpe incorporated recycled microfiber, local km0 production, responsible processes, and local suppliers. But not because it was fashionable: because it has been part of their identity for three generations.
Today: artisans of the future
Arpe Shop is the result of nearly 100 years of dedication to textiles. A small, family-owned, brave, and creative company that combines craftsmanship and technology to create useful, long-lasting, and responsible textile products.
Arpe is more than a brand; it is the continuity of a craft that three generations have kept alive with passion.
