Stripes and strife

Lesenecal at his company’s factory in Saint-James, France. — Violette Franchi/The New York Times

AS fabric spooled from a bank of knitting machines in crisp blue-and-white stripes, workers at the Saint James clothing factory in Normandy stacked them into neat piles and cut along patterns to assemble the company’s iconic Breton sailor shirt – beloved by fashionistas and celebrities alike.

Luc Lesenecal, CEO of Saint James, surveyed the expansive workshop, splashed with a rainbow of yarns.