Vilebrequin
Vilebrequin was established in the early 1970’s in Saint-Tropez. The original design was based on a trunk style short that bucked the trend for the more popular 'brief style' swimmer of the time. This, along with the fast drying qualities of the fabric (originally spinnaker canvas) and a bold design allowed it to become an overnight success on the French Riviera.
Vilebrequin has since become a global phenomenon. The collection has grown but the original values are ever present; bold colourful prints are still synonymous with the brand with the Turtle print probably being the most popular. You may be happy to hear though that the sail canvas has been replaced with newer faster drying polyimide fabrics.
John Goodwin offers a comprehensive selection of trunks from Vilebrequin. This includes Moorea: the original short along with a slightly longer board short: Okoa.
A little bit of trivia; Vilebrequin is the French for ‘Crankshaft’. (The original brand designer reportedly had a passion for cars).