Vilebrequin: 50 years on vacation
The story of Vilebrequin begins around 1971 with a touching love story of Yvette and Fred, founders of the brand, from Nîmes. One day, Fred wanted to surprise his second half with a revolutionary idea: a swim shorts that reflected the free-spirited style of the French Riviera. Yvette was thrilled and a short time later the legendary it-piece got the attention it deserved on one of the most popular beaches in St. Tropez: People loved it and wanted these specific swim shorts.
That same year, the couple opened their own boutique in St. Tropez. The name was inspired by a wrought-iron staircase in the store, which reminded Fred, an avid car fan, of a crank staircase (French: vilebrequin), a component of the car engine.
Almost eight years later, the founding couple expanded to the United States, where they have gained many new customers. Over the years, the owners have changed, which have realized new concepts and thus a new assortment. For example, the father-son concept, which symbolizes fantasy, connection and togetherness on vacation. Meanwhile, however, there are not only the classic men's swimwear, but also a children's collection, as well as exclusive swimwear for women.
Roland Herlory, former executive director at Hermès, joined the company as its new CEO in 2012. Under his influence, Vilebrequin was given an environmentally friendly aspect. Periodically, a portion of profits is donated to a charity for turtles. Furthermore, for the production of the swimwear collections, a recycled polyester fabric is used, which is obtained by plastic waste from the Mediterranean Sea. So per swimsuit, about 200g of plastic waste is removed from the waters.
"The DNA of Vilebrequin is the combination of maximum fantasy and timeless elegance." - Roland Herlory, Managing Director at Vilebrequin
Since the beginning of its history, Vilebrequin has strived to bring excellent and unique swimwear to the market. It takes 32 steps to create a single piece, with the fabrics used being made in France, Italy and Portugal, and then sewn together into swimwear in Europe and Morocco.
Photo: Vilebrequin
A special anniversary collection is planned for the brand's 50th birthday. This is under the motto: "50 YEARS. 50 PRINTS." and screams SUMMER, SUN, BEACH and SEA. Swim trunks from the last 50 years are upgraded, changed and adapted so that lovers can fall in love all over again. The entire collection will be available soon.
Photos: Vilebrequin
