Known as a vacation resort for wealthy guests and celebrities like Brigitte Bardot, Saint-Tropez is a charming port on the French Riviera, offering tourists sunny beaches, inviting cafés, and savory Provençal cuisine.Back in 1971, a young man sitting on the terrace at one of these cafés—namely, Café Sénéquier—sketched out some fanciful designs of swimsuits. Innovative and daring, he started snipping the checkered tablecloth before him and fashioned it into a pair boxer trunks, which became an instant hit among the jet set of Saint-Tropez.
Thus, Vilebrequin was born! The founder chose this name, which literally means ‘crankshaft’ in French (pronounced veel breh ken), out of his deep passion for cars. Now three decades later, Switzerland-based Vilebrequin has been “crankshafted” into a worldwide brand with collections numbering 150-200 swimsuits in 50 colors.
In the 1990’s, the “Like Father, Like Son” concept was born in response to men’s idealistic yearning to bond with their children, resulting in junior and senior lines. Recently this summer at Pitti Uomo in Florence, Italy, Vilebrequin introduced a “total look” collection.
The 2010 s/s collection pays tribute to the retro styles of French actors Jean Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon, drawing inspiration from a long walk through the hills and down to the shores of Provençe, France—but all made in Italy.
We may not be able to vacation with the beau monde on the French Riviera, but Vilebrequin is determined to bring a little Côte d'Azur to all of us through concept stores that hint to lighting and colors of Saint-Tropez.
Slideshow copyright by Vilebrequin.
Photo top left by Adrian777, Copyleft at Wikipedia.
