Gaba Esquivel(left) and Thomas Vasseur(right) on the runway Spring 2004
(Photo by Javier Mateo)

Contact Info:
VASSEUR-ESQUIVEL
Website: www.vasseuresquivel.net
NEW YORK Buyers Contact:
Viviana Rodriguez
Tel: (917) 523-4840
Fax: (212) 842-2449

PARIS Buyers Contact:
Ana Saro
Tel: +33 61 24 75 76 4

Press Contact:
FACTORY PR
Contact: Lauren Fisch or Mark Silver
Tel: (212) 941-7057
Fax: (212) 941-7058

DALLAS, Nov 17, 2003/ FW/ --- French native Thomas Vasseur and Argentinan born Gaba Esquivel are the two halves that make up Vasseur-Esquivel.

They met at the renowed Studio Berçot in Paris in 1994 and have remained close friends since then. Their collaboration for the label Vasseur-Esquivel which debuted in 2001, was a natural progression of the two young aspiring designers friendship.

After graduation from Studio Berçot, Vasseur trained under fashion icons John Galliano, Alexander McQueen [at Givenchy], Thierry Mugler, Azzedine Alaïa and Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Gaba Esquivel went on to work with Michel Klein at Guy Laroche, Gilles Dufour at Chanel and held design positions at both Martine Sitbon and Balmain.

In 2001, the duo decided to strike out on their own, and their debut collection -- Resort 2002, was a big hit with the fashion flock because it had the sophistication of Paris with the Buenos Aires flavor.

In 2002, the design duo won the prestigious Ecco Domani grant from the Ecco Domani Foundation. The grant was used to finance their Fall 2003 collection shown in New York.

This show also gave Vasseur-Esquivel a big break. Courageously passing their business card to Bloomingdale's Fashion Director Kal Ruttenstein their business card one night at a restaurant led to Kal Ruttenstein attending their show, buying their line, and several Bloomingdale's store windows dedicated to Vasseur-Esquivel creations.

The Vasseur-Esquivel label is already being sold at Barneys New York, Bloomingdale’s, Ikram in Chicago and Jimmy’s in The Hamptons.

Spring 2004 (Photo by Javier Mateo)