Réard: the trade mark of the creator of the bikini is re-launched

Bought by the businessman Richard Emanuel, the historic trade mark of Louis Réard, the creator of the first bikini, has been re-named and is bringing out its Summer 2017 collection. This is aimed at the luxury niche.

There are only a few archive images to remind us of the presentation made at Molitor swimming pool in 1946 of the first bikini worn by Micheline Bernardini, the famous nude dancer at the Casino de Paris. Whilst the two-piece swimsuit was already familiar at the time, the novelty came from the very scalloped cut of the bikini bottom which reveals a large area of the hips as well as the navel for the first time. However, there was no scandal for the bikini (which was a reference to the atoll in the Marshall Islands on which, five days before, a nuclear explosion had taken place) of Louis Réard or any riots. It was not until the 1950s that it began to be worn and adopted by starlets such as Brigitte Bardot and Ursula Andress. The trade mark continued right up to the 1970s, before disappearing.

A position in the resort/cruise collections market

So, it is a real boost to its history to see it reborn today. Bought by Richard Emanuel four years ago, Louis Réard, renamed Réard Paris, is reborn under the guidance of Céline Adler (formerly of Huit, Princesse tam.tam and Kookaï Lingerie) appointed artistic director. “For this first collection, the idea is to give precedence to timeless swimwear that is stylish in order to establish the brand,” she emphasises. In the Resortwear niche, the brand wants to establish its minimalist and graphic style firstly in Europe and then internationally as soon as possible. “This first collection is available only on our e-shop and at Colette in Paris,” says Grégory Dalizon, brand director. “In the second season, we are going to attack the online multi-brands, whilst the department stores are already showing great interest, although the aim is to remain selective.”

History and innovation

With 55 references, the first collection includes 7 lines available in 8 colour variants (including prints). One- and two-piece costumes as well as beachwear and hats. These are all available in 3 segments, as follows: entry to the range (about 200 euro for a costume); the core of the brand with fashion design detail (about 300 euro to 450 euro); and lastly, innovation with jewelled items (650 euros). “Réard Paris is gambling on design but retains a link with its history,” explains Grégory Dalizon. “To do this, we wanted to offer a choice of costume for each morphology”. Regarding materials, the choice came down to the “Explosive” interlocking mesh, the best-seller of the Italian maker, Brugnolia. A mesh containing 38 percent LYCRA® XTRA LIFE™. “This was an important step in design,” the director continues. “We wanted a high-quality material that was matt and functional that we could work as a clean cut to obtain a perfect finish”. A showroom presentation is announced for the Spring-Summer 2018 collection in the first half of July. Réard Paris is already in the swim.

Photos : Réard Paris Lookbook.