Réard Paris - The Founder Of The Bikini - Relaunches

Since its oh-so chic Parisian launch at the Piscine Molitor in 1946, the bikini has become a global staple in the wardrobes of women, but few know the name of its founder: Louis Réard. The good news is they're about to, as following decades of sartorial obscurity, the swimwear brand - Réard Paris - is relaunching for summer 2017. It has a fresh outlook that honours the brand's heritage and pioneering past and a creative director who hails from Chloé, Céline Adler. We asked Adler how she's breathing new life into the brand.

How does it feel to be relaunching such a famous brand?

"This is an incredible and rare opportunity. The possibilities are endless when it comes to creativity as the brand has been dormant for the past few years, but it is a true honour to be able to work with such a strong heritage and background. Réard and its founder, Louis, have had a great influence on women’s fashion. As a woman, I feel honoured to work for such a historical and symbolic name. Louis Réard was himself a feminist in some ways as he fully supported the emancipation of women and, as such, created a product which liberated them. I am very moved and deeply touched to be a part of this adventure."

What has been your approach with redefining the house?

"We have decided not to directly reference the pin-up style that Réard had in the Fifties. We’ve obviously kept the essence of the minimal bikini by developing a piece which is tiny, yet functional but, other than that, Réard is developing its style in a more contemporary manner with sharp lines, strong visuals and graphics bringing an effortless and natural fit. Réard was a visionary, an inventor even, and I wanted to keep this strong heritage and go above and beyond creatively with the use of today’s new technologies. This allows me to create pieces that are both highly architectural and pure."

Can you explain the new elements that you have introduced?

"When it comes to the style, I wanted to develop pieces that are recognisable in terms of their minimalism and by their incredible details and elements which would make these bathing suits desirable. Réard’s signature look today is clean and precise lines creating a strong silhouette. We also have a strong desire for quality. We have a studio in Paris where we create all of our prototypes with a professional team who are at the cutting edge of technology. We use the latest fabrics and bonding technology which allows us to create a precise and perfect fit."

What is your background?

"I studied History of Art at The Sorbonne before going to Esmod in Paris. I’ve worked for many years for brands such as Huit and Princesse Tam Tam. I have also worked as a freelancer where I had the incredible opportunity to work alongside Peter Copping at Nina Ricci as well as Clare Waight Keller at Chloé."

What did you take away from your time working under Clare at Chloé?

"During my time at Chloé I worked in their swimwear division, which is a small part of their business, but Clare is incredibly intuitive and works with great generosity, creativity, and detail. I learned to look at archives with a new approach, to use them and bring my vision of the 21st Century into them. Clare has a strong link to these archives and is able to read and re-adapt them to the latest trends, as she is always conscious of the everyday and effortless style which she brings to her collections. This is also very important to me with Réard as we’re not here to create museum pieces."

How would you like Réard be perceived now?

"I would like Réard to become the brand of choice when one needs a new bathing suit and this is for three reasons: because we invented the bikini; for its style; and for its quality. For me, fashion is not meant to be something that you can just throw away; I like pieces that are timeless and will transcend time, accompanying you through the ages. I would like women to come to us when in search of a premium product. Beyond finding a pretty piece, it is about offering a perfect fit which in my eyes, is a key quality in a bathing suit."

What makes it stand apart from other swimwear collections?

"There is an endless amount of brands today as swimwear seems to be trending at the moment. Within the luxury swimwear market, there are very few, I would say even no brands that offer a minimalist style that is modern as well as a perfected and highly detailed lining, which enhances and beautifies a silhouette. These aspects have mostly been seen in sort of mainstream brands, but we are looking to push the boundaries whilst staying true to our timeless aesthetic.
I truly believe there is a place on the market for a brand which offers women a trendy, premium, and desirable product, where quality is at the heart of every piece, thus making women feel beautiful and confident."

Are there plans to offer other product categories?

"It’s important for us to make a comeback with swimwear foremost because it is our heritage. Nevertheless, we do want to expand the brand into a true resort-wear brand. We are simply waiting for the right moment and collaborations or partnerships to do so. This comes with developing our beachwear into ready to wear, sandals, sunglasses, jewellery (etc), in order to offer a complete summer wardrobe."

What are the key pieces from the launch collection?

"There are three key points to the collection: The must-haves, which are the stars of our collection and are timeless pieces with a perfect fit; the seasonal collection, which offers a range of products with various styles and strong details, such as oversized eyelets, or even two-tone graphic lines which have the effect of a ribbon being pulled through the fabric; and certain samples are quite exceptional as they are designed with pieces of jewellery which have been exclusively created and developed by Réard, such as a gold-edged cutout eyelet on the back of one of our silhouettes. These pieces can easily be worn both on the beach and with a pair of jeans for example."Louis Réard was himself a feminist in some ways as he fully supported the emancipation of women and, as such, created a product which liberated them

"When it comes to the style, we’ve really tried to think outside of the box and go above and beyond. For example, one piece plunges dramatically on the back and it reminds of the dress Mireille Darc wore. Others include a pure and minimalist bandeau with a plunging cleavage, as well as high-waisted pants which are very structured and architectural."

How many collections will you work on a year?

"We will be working on four collections a year, with spring, summer, autumn, and a Cruise collection. We are following the same calendar as ready-to-wear brands. Additionally, we are opening several pop-up stores throughout 2017, and a first Réard store in 2018. With regards to retail outlets we will also be selling limited-edition pieces that are specifically designed to have a link with each location and each history."

What do you feel gives you the advantage?

"Today, the word bikini is found in the everyday language. Réard’s influence has been huge, all you need to do is look on the internet and you’ll see that the Bikini is everywhere. Réard holds a strong position and stands as an innovative brand and thus has a place to take in the market. We are going to work on building the link that once was between the word Bikini and Réard, ensuring that we are once again known as the original bikini!"