The Saint-Tropez Spirit is Exported to Abu Dhabi
This summer, Vilebrequin is installing striped deckchairs and parasols at the Saadiyat Beach Club in Abu Dhabi, and for the occasion is unveiling an exclusive collection for the whole family, adorned with its emblematic sea turtle.
Much more than a piece of fabric, the Vilebrequin swimsuit is a true talisman that keeps the memory of vacations alive. So it was almost natural for the brand to dress a beach, in order to see its creations come to life, but also to begin to share its Mediterranean art of living. Cabins with immaculate curtains, brightly colored furniture and hand-painted ceramics here evoke the atmosphere of the Côte d'Azur, cradle of the brand created in 1971 in Saint-Tropez. “I like the fact of being able to export the French spirit elsewhere” : himself in a swimsuit all year round - he lives in Saint-Barthélémy - Roland Herlory, CEO of Vilebrequin, is in his element. “I’m happy to bring some of our freshness in such a subtle way.”
From his two decades at Hermès - as director of special orders then as regional director for Latin America - Roland Herlory above all retains the taste for a job well done, the obsession with quality and therefore detail. “True nobility is the infinitely small,” he likes to repeat. If you look carefully, you will find the famous sea turtle on the corner of the striped mattresses, the blue towels, or even the back of the parasols. And if he refuses to talk about a concept, the idea already has the ambition to multiply, but on a different model each time. “Reproduction, for me, is the anti-luxury” continues Roland Herlory. “There is a common thread, of course, but we cannot do the same thing in Miami and Abu Dhabi, for example. » A task that will have to be accomplished by the architect Vincent Darré, to whom the entire project has been entrusted.
Finally, from this collaboration will be born some limited edition swimsuits: the famous Moorea shorts, with 32 manufacturing stages, which wonderfully reflect the brand's 50 years of know-how, or the V-neck one-piece and backless, with a bow at the neck. The recycled polyamide that makes them up? A desire for sustainability. “In the 1920s and 30s, we only bathed with natural fibers,” he continues. “I’m trying to get back to it. I was given a place to express myself, I want to be proud of what I do. » A linen shirt and an embroidered cotton dress complete this blue-tinted line with gold accents, imbued with a nonchalant elegance, which , as always, even children will be able to match.
Every day, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Saadiyat Island, Exit 14 - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
