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Girbaud: Politically Fashionable
By: Boyd Davis
Photos by Visko Hatfield
One thing you can say about a Girbaud show, there is never a dull moment.
Held at the Pavillion Tent at Bryant Park, François Girbaud decided to have a "square" catwalk"
with the audience sitting around the four sides.
It was hard for the photographers because there is no pre-defined "photographers pit",
but definitely great for the audience because the pecking order for the viewers does not exist.
Do I hear a political statement?
If there is, it is not surprising, taking into consideration that the label started during the
politically chaotic late 1960s. In fact, at the official Girbaud website, it says that the label
was inspired by the 1968 workers strike in Paris.
Founded by François Girbaud and Marithé Bachellerie, Marithé + François Girbaud is
a denim and sportswear label which has its roots from the late 1960s.
It is one of the first labels which specialized in denim and in a roundabout way,
the youth culture with a "dash of forward-looking politic that
would speak to the needs of everyday people."
"Thirty years later, that political urgency still seems to infuse the design sensibility of
Marithé + François Girbaud.
Girbaud and his partner Marithé Bachellerie, have built the
label's reputation around around denim-the wardrobe of the working man-but at
the same time have been relentless innovators in the areas of fabric, fit and
finish." (From
www.girbaud.com)
When 2000 rolled around, the partners started to explore the relationship
between humans and their environment. The result - a line of clothing and
accessories that involved nature, technology and culture.
In terms of the age of the brand, it can be said that the label has matured.
But it has continued to be fresh and evolved, the result of continuous
experimentation and innovations by the founders.
For Spring 2000, the line is a high-tech collection. Cyber-fibers, laser-cutting and
slip-weight ‘polyesters and polyamides reinforced by hot fusion’ were used.
François Girbaud, considered the grand old man of downtown chic has never lost his touch!
Marithé + François Girbaud
Marithé + François Girbaud
Marithé + François Girbaud
Marithé + François Girbaud
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