Founded in 1971 in St Tropez, Vilebrequin is known for swimwear collections that capture the allure of the French Riviera in its 1970s heyday. It’s the same heady period during which, in the French capital, Parisian fashion stalwart Ines de La Fressange was dominating the runway as a teenager (her modelling break came at age 17 in 1974). A decade later, she would be the first model to sign an exclusive modelling contract with Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, alongside walking for houses including Christian Dior, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Yves Saint Laurent and more, before founding her own eponymous label.
