Luxury Hoteliers Magazine 4th Quarter 2017 | Page 13

The story behind the French luxury swimwear brand , Vilebrequin , is dreamy , spirited and inspirational . Their dedication to true style , quality , and an endless summer comes across in their vibrant prints and interesting collaborations . In this interview , Roland Herlory dips into their story , successful partnerships , and the way forward .
I BELIEVE THAT VILEBREQUIN ORIGINATED IN ST . TROPEZ IN 1971 AND HAS A ROMANTIC STORY ATTACHED TO IT . PLEASE DO TELL US MORE .
Yes ! Vilebrequin was born in St Tropez in the 70 ’ s , a time of freedom , careless elegance and strong creativity . Vilebrequin was created by Fred Prysquel , an automobile journalist who fell in love in this beautiful , quaint harbor . He created his own pair of swim shorts to seduce a woman ... because he did not feel that the options were very flattering at the time . He ended up marrying his loved one and their love story resulted in the creation of this brand that carries an important philosophy : live as if Summer would never end .
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE SUCCESS BEHIND YOUR BRAND ? HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF ?
Vilebrequin comes from a time where a lot of things were being reinvented : the 70 ’ s was the beginning of a new era in terms of freedom of the body and the mind . People pushed boundaries , and they did it with natural sophistication . We have this legacy to uphold at Vilebrequin . No other brand has this kind of heritage and expertise . We try our best to carry the perfect combination of quality and imagination . Quality is a very serious issue for us , but our products have to be fun , light and full of humor , because holidays are all about that . Most of our clients work all year in dark suits . Only during their holidays , do they allow themselves a little humor and freedom . Vilebrequin ’ s expertise is the delicate and fine line between elegance and lightheartedness . In addition , we were one of the first brands to introduce the Father and Son concept in the 90 ’ s - matching swimsuits for all ages - which has become part of our DNA .
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