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Emotion is key to the brand: This “Father & Son” marketing concept aims to encapsulate moments of family happiness |
FRANCE. Les Accessoires Travel Retail (LATR), the distributor of casual-luxury products including Lacoste accessories, has signed a three-year contract with Vilebrequin for the exclusive and global travel retail distribution of the French luxury swimwear brand.
Vilebrequin, internationally renowned for its vibrantly printed men’s swimming trunks, first started in travel retail with corners in Milan Malpensa and Geneva airports. Now, serious expansion is under way for the brand, which has carved a niche in the apparel market for its expertly tailored, cotton boxer short-style swimwear [as worn by VIPs such as the British royal family’s Prince William – Ed].
Explained LATR International Director David Dayan: “While we are now taking over these airport locations, we are particularly glad to announce the forthcoming string of new openings: London Heathrow Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, as well as the airports of Saint Martin, Miami, New York and Punta Cana.”
Vilebrequin will open a shop-in-shop in London Heathrow Terminal 4 in time for Christmas, added Dayan.
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Luxury beachwear: Vilebrequin’s signature swimming trunks are expertly tailored in a luxury cotton fabric | |
Vilebrequin was created by a young man in the 1970s in the super-chic French resort of Saint Tropez. Sitting in a café, he decided to make a pair of swimming trunks out of a checkered tablecloth. And as a car fanatic, he decided to call his offbeat design an equally offbeat name: Vilebrequin means “crankshaft” in French.
His creative vision was not so frivolous, as Vilebrequin quickly became a fashion statement among the in-crowd, and now boasts more than 70 retail locations around the globe, including Paris, Saint Tropez, Rome, New York, Hong Kong and Beverly Hills. A new concept store – the brand’s 73rd – opened recently in Florence.
The collection now spans 150-200 swimsuits in a choice of 50 colour shades. In addition, a new ready-to-wear venture under the label “the sea in winter” made its debut last month, with two full collections per year planned.
Vilebrequin’s key steps to growth
Although the brand’s octogenarian creator still lives in Saint Tropez, Vilebrequin was acquired by a private equity fund based in the Netherlands in January 2008. Since then, the new owners have taken a number of key strategic steps:
– The importance of emotion is key; a “Father & Son” concept is core to the brand. A new marketing campaign aims to encapsulate moments of family happiness, with the strapline “Liberté, Egalité, St Tropez”.
– New product extensions: Having made its name with the short Moorea swimming trunk model, a second style of swimming trunks was launched earlier this year in a boxer short style. Also in September 2009, the first ever ready-to-wear leisure items were introduced. The classic casualwear items include polo-shirts and sweatshirts, etc.
– There are three core products: solid-colour swimming shorts with an entry price of €95; Classic, retailing at €130; and Embroidered, €350, all made by hand and only sold in 15 locations. The price is the same all over Europe, and the global price positioning varies between 5% and 10%.
– Launching licensed product extensions will be very controlled, according to Vilebrequin. Plans include men’s underwear and children’s ready-to-wear.
Following the success of Father & Son, Vilebrequin is launching in March 2010 a women’s “Mother & Daughter” retail concept, which will comprise womenswear concept stores, completely separate to the men’s product.
– A new store concept opened in Florence this year, measuring 60sq m. The colour blue is a core feature of the new stores, aiming to give a clean and fresh look. The booth at the 2009 TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes will incorporate this new concept.
– Vilebrequin’s strategy is to create a global luxury resortwear brand. The company divides the world into three regions: the Americas – a New York office manages Canada, US, Mexico, Caribbean and South America; Europe, including Middle East, managed from an office based in Paris; and Asia Pacific, including India through to Australia, run out of Hong Kong.
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The colour blue is a core feature of Vilebrequin’s new concept store, which opened in Florence this year |
About Les Accessoires Travel Retail
In 2005, Les Accessoires Travel Retail (LATR) was incorporated with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, having gained the exclusive and worldwide rights for the distribution in travel retail of Lacoste Accessories. The Paris office and showroom opened in the same year, followed by a Hong Kong office and showroom in 2006.
In 2007, Timberland granted LATR the distribution of its Travel Gear travel collection and, in the same year, a Sydney office opened. In 2008, The Charmant Group, worldwide licensee for Lacoste, Puma, Elle and Esprit eyewear, appointed LATR to handle its travel retail distribution. Also that year, an office in Panama opened.
This year, the company has celebrated three milestones: the opening of offices in both Miami and Dubai; and its appointment by French brand Vilebrequin as the exclusive and global travel retail distributor for three years.
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Vilebrequin has introduced its first leisurewear collection. Plans include men’s underwear and children’s clothing | |
Today, LATR represents 190 points of sale in travel retail, across 52 countries. The company has a presence in 95 airports and onboard 25 cruise ships. With more than 400,000 products sold in 2008, an item supplied by LATR is sold every two minutes in airports around the globe, according to the firm.
“Our vision is to expand the distribution of casual chic brands in the airport environment, and to bring a relaxed yet hip edge to the travel retail market in accordance with today’s trends,” said Dayan. “Wearing a Lacoste beach bag or a Vilebrequin swimsuit: the spirit is the same, i.e. to please oneself with the highest quality products at an affordable price.”
He added: “The expansion of these two brands is indeed a testimony to the growing interest airport operators and airport authorities bring to the affordable luxury segment, due to the excellent results it generates in terms of turnover per square foot.
“In the current challenging economic outlook, all the brands in the LATR portfolio have indeed performed well in 2008 and 2009, thanks to their luxury yet affordable aspect.”
The schedule of openings for Lacoste Accessories continues as planned, reported Dayan. In October, personalised corners will begin trading in New York JFK Terminal 3, Miami Concourse J, Cyprus Airport, Melbourne Airport, St Kitts and Nevis and Macau Airport.
For Timberland, LATR is opening two new locations: one dedicated corner at Shenzhen Airport and one at Seoul Incheon Airport.
LATR has secured 24 airport listings for Puma, Esprit and Elle sunglasses in 2008/2009. “We will keep up with the momentum in 2010 as we expect an additional 20 airport listings,” said Dayan.
For details, contact David Dayan, International Director, Les Accessoires Travel Retail (LATR), tel: +33 1 42 975323 or e-mail ddayan@latr.ch
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