Vilebrequin in the African Bush!

Southern Africa... this season [2011 spring/summer] Vilebrequin takes us into the thick of a thrilling safari. Amidst bird calls you see landscapes saturated with a rich palette of endless colors and lights that range from the paleness of dawn over the still savanna to the incandescence of the sun setting on the Okavango delta. It is a journey ripe with sensations.

Do you know the legend of little guinea fowl? Little guinea fowl was a painter whose gray-black plumage studded with tiny white sparkles was a source of pride that caused envy among all the animals of the savanna. One day a leopard came to find him: “little guinea fowl, could you paint me a coat as handsome as yours?”

In exchange for a few worms from an antelope that had been hunted down by the leopard and buried not far from his workshop, little guinea fowl created the leopard’s sumptuous spotted fur. Next the hyena came calling. But the devious hyena did not hold up her end of the deal. Little guinea fowl, furious to have been cheated, tossed his bucket of paint on the hyena’s head, which is why today’s hyenas are so ugly...

Just like the talented little Guinea fowl of Namibia, Vilebrequin has designed next summer’s swimsuits: Cape town’s fur seals, the elephants of the Namibia desert, giraffes from the Tanzanian plains, majestic hundred year old baobab trees, and of course, the Namibian guinea fowl.

Around the bend of a trail we head for the villages of Ndebele, famed for their pictorial art, to hear even more legends whispered around a campfire. We gather inspiration not only from the wall paintings that decorate their huts which only woman are allowed to create, but also from their pagnes, a textile crafted from “wax” fabric which dates to the arrival of the first Europeans in western Africa.

Vilebrequin: a collection designed like a voyage of discovery through the African bush...

Enjoy the image gallery here.

Photos & text Copyright Vilebrequin.  

Let’s Take a Plunge into the 80’s…with Vilebrequin...in 2011

The Vilebrequin 2010 fall/winter collection pays tribute to the 80’s.

A touch of nostalgia or a desire for new found lightness?

Those wonderful years remind us of trends that are visual, flamboyant, energetic; all of them tied back to vivacious souvenirs—those of carefree-ness, freedom and strength.

The values that bring us back in the era of enjoyment and excessive fun.

Those very colorful, creative, nonconformist years where very personalized identities emerged, where everyone created their own look.

A difference that is expressed through strong prints, which generate well being, bringing out the joy of summertime, the sun, the heat, freedom, far from the everyday routine.

A cocktail of acid colors, where black becomes emblematic of modernity, luxury, the motifs are pop, rock, as well as chic, because we are all singulars.

Text & photos 2010 a/w collection, Copyright Vilebrequin.

Jet-Setting in Saint-Tropez with Vilebrequin

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.