CEO of Vilebrequin, Roland Herlory Says Slow and Steady Really Do Win the Race

It was the summer of 1971 when Fred Prysquel sketched his first design for Vilebrequin on a tablecloth at an al fresco cafe in Saint-Tropez. His vision, a colourful pair of swim shorts made of spinnaker cloth, perfect for sailing, swimming and frolicking on the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Now, 45 years later, the company’s CEO Roland Herlory is in Hong Kong at the launch of its debut footwear collection, posing for cheeky pictures with a pair of black-and-white shorts. The print reads, “Gone Tanning”. It’s a clue as to how far the French luxury swimwear brand has come. It’s a clue as to how much farther it wishes to go. The sublime quality of its “made for life” swimwear and the cutting-edge technology of its durable fabrics stand the test of time in more ways than one.

Roland Herlory, CEO of Vilebrequin

But now, Herlory itches to expand the brand—sunglasses and watches will see light of day in 2017, with more beach life accessories to come—but not at the expense of the brand’s identity.

What is at the heart of Vilebrequin?
Roland Herlory It is the love story, the essence of Saint-Tropez in the 1970s. It was a time when women had their first taste of freedom, the freedom of their bodies. We see the old conservatism fall away and the emergence of a new world. Like that special moment, Vilebrequin is about freedom, humour, joy and fantasy wrapped up in the allure of elegance.

But first came the men’s trunks...
Herlory Yes, that was the primary focus and the source of our know-how for the first 45 years. Our customers are men who wear grey suits and ties all year long. We need to breach this heavy masculinity. I love that we can bring the fantasy to them. On a beach holiday, we dare them to wear wild prints, like green shrimps and fuchsia elephants.

And then there were the super luxurious gold shorts!
Herlory I’m always thinking, “How do we push the border? How do we take what we do a step further?” Then we came up with exclusive trunks embroidered with 24K matte gold thread. Each turtle was embroidered in various directions so when the sun hits the fabric, the turtle shell reflects light in different ways. The gold aglets (cord tips) were also embedded with sapphire. It was very special.

How did the collaborations with Massimo Vitali happen?
Herlory It was a beautiful adventure with Vitali because he’s an artist and I’m an art collector. I’m very cautious with mixing art with fashion because I have so much respect for both. When we decided on a collaboration, he was the obvious choice because he was the one who brought images of the beach to contemporary art. Like us, he is a master in his niche.

And with Rolling Stones?
Herlory They are very close to our spirit, the spirit of the ’70s. It’s rock and roll and we came from that era. It was a little bit difficult initially because they wanted us to only feature the tongue, but I said no. Everybody’s done it, so we must bring something new. Then we proposed a collage of all their album covers. I like it very much.

Tell us about Vilebrequin’s expansion plans.
Herlory Let me start by saying that I absolutely believe that we must take our time to do things correctly, and to do things well. If not, we risk damaging the integrity of the brand. No matter how far we go, the challenge will always be growing without betraying who we are. Having said that, we will do sunglasses, we will do watches, we will do more accessories. We will even do a beach home collection with our signature turtle prints one day. But we won’t do these too quickly. I am not in a hurry. My shareholders will tell you the opposite. But I’m French, I do not move for money, I move for beauty. I believe the beauty will bring the profits.

There are no restrictions to where we will go as long as we respect the quality, the craftsmanship and the DNA of the company. Our biggest asset is the story and incredible know-how. But the tradition and the history become stale if we stay in our comfort zone and not inject modernity and movement in what we do. Business, like life, is about growing. When we stop growing, we die.

Do I sense some mixed emotions?
There has been no compromise in the last 45 years. Some mistakes, but no compromise. That’s the beauty of the company. That’s the reason why I’m very cautious. It’s pure like the waters of St Barts. It’s not so common these days. When you’re proud of something, you want the team to be proud with you. Perhaps I’m an idealist. But when you plant a seed, sometimes it becomes a tree.

You spoke about freedom earlier. What does it mean to you?
Herlory Freedom is jumping into my pool for a swim at my home in St Barts in between conference calls. Freedom is going for a walk alone along the Saline Beach at sunset or before sunrise when everyone else is asleep. Freedom is the ability to escape this world of endless pressure we live in. Freedom is escaping; escaping is breathing again.

Is Saline Beach your favourite beach?
Herlory One of my favourites, yes. There is also a beach in Tahiti at Moorea Island that I love. Also, the ambience at Sa Trinxa in Ibiza is great. Everybody dances and the crowd is fantastic!