Imagine, its 1972, and a group of 20 or so friends are searching for a common project that will provide both work and a certain way of life. The group decides to purchase an old mill that has fallen into ruins. They renovate the mill bit by bit so that their families can move in and live there together as a commune. The adventure begins with screen printing and craft items (lamps, jewellery, decorative items . . . )
1970
Two products changed the course of Moulin Roty. Firstly, a small car made of wood, foam and fabric which proves an enormous success at the different trade shows and markets where it is shown.
1975
Secondly, ‘la douillette’, a soft rag doll, which seduces everyone by its originality. An order for 1500 small cars propels the Moulin Roty Workshop onto the toy and nursery markets.
Moulin Roty go on to launch an entire collection derived from the small fabric car. The fabric rocking toys are launched in 1975 and prove to be a huge success…
At the outset, the Moulin Roty Workshop specialised in decorative items. It then went on to children’s and nursery rooms and launched wooden paintings, height charts, clocks as well as small stack-up wooden toys.
1978
To ensure the development and the durability of the company, the founding members adopt the status of a cooperative. Even today, this status allows us to conserve the founding values of the brand : solidarity, sharing and respect.
To learn more about the SCOP status, click on the link below :
www.scop.coop
A fire destroyed the entire workshop leaving nothing in its wake. The designs, stock, files and machines were completely lost. Moulin Roty moved to Nort sur Erdre, 15 kilometres away and decided to begin from scratch. This new start also gave added importance to the design and sales aspects of the company. The latter kept its status as a cooperative but became a public limited company (SA) in 1991.
1988
‘Yesterday’s toys for today’s children’ : a new concept sees the day – toys inspired by the past that are updated to today’s tastes. A range aimed at teaching toddlers the toys and games of the past and for parents or grand-parents to re-connect with objects that were once part of their childhood.
1996
Nini, the emblematic mouse from our current range La Grande Famille, joined the family in 1997 under the name of Mimi the Mouse.
1997
Louna sees the day ! This little colourful bee revolutionizes the world of infancy. Out go pastel colours! In come yellow, fuschia, orange, and bright green.
2000
The first subsidiary in Great Britain is created. Our small friends also take to the web and communicate with the whole world.
2000
Moulin Roty inaugurates its first shop in Nantes. The entire range is on show in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
2001
The Jolis pas Beaux (literally, The Pretty Uglies) were born in 2008 from a multitude of scrap fabric. Their odd look and crazy attitude soon seduces parents and the family has grown from one year to the next.
2008
Each new collection begins with a story, a universe, an adventure. This “once upon a time” that pushes our illustrators, designers and seamstresses to work the shapes, materials and volumes, to draw, assemble and stitch our future heroes. Always bearing in mind the constraints imposed by quality and standards, but above all the children’s pleasure and delight, they bring to life the ranges and characters so dear to our hearts. And what everyone secretly hopes as well, is that they will be passed down from one generation to the next…
2019
Moulin Roty’s objective has always been to combine softness, fantasy and tenderness, while developing an irreproachable quality standard. These almost 50 years have delighted the children whose paths our characters have crossed. They have also given us a lot of pleasure in their development. The various testimonies we receive every day encourage us to think that we are on the right path, to continue to make children and adults dream. We work every day to continue this beautiful adventure…
Thank you to all the people who, from near or far, have collaborated or are collaborating in this adventure: to the shops with which we try to offer our customers the best service, to the customers, parents and grandparents, who trust us, to the children who give us the pleasure of offering us sweetness and enthusiasm every day, and to all the Moulin Roty toys and characters without whom none of this would exist!
Long live this exciting adventure…
2023