Label To Know - Le Slip Francais
Move over Mary Portas! Le Slip Francais is all about home manufacturing: French manufacturing. Founder, Guillaume Gibault, made a bet, in early 2011, with a friend, in a Parisian Café, where he wagered that with an inspiring story and traditional French craftsmanship anything and everything was possible.
Left - Oo La La - Le Slip Francais' Logo
The briefs he imagined, on that fine evening, first saw the light of day a few months later in a small workshop on the banks of the river Drome in the Dordogne which had been producing underwear for the last 60 years. In September 2011, the first consignment of 600 pairs was delivered to Paris in the trunk of a rental car and Le Slip Francais was launched.
Never had the 2,000 villagers of the sleepy commune of Saint-Antoine-Cumond dreamed that their home would soon become the French underwear capital.
Right - Le Slip Francais' colour palette for its underwear and swimwear in based on the three colours of the French flag - Red, White & Blue - Trunks - £25
Three years later with the expansion that followed, partnerships with established brands, two pop-up stores, one store in Paris, Le Slip français celebrated the sale of its 60,000th garment – one of over 120 different lines, created in one of 15 workshops across France.
But, Le Slip Français is much more than a brand of underwear. This dynamic brand fuses French manufacturing tradition and expertise with a modern twist and a sense of humour. The internet has offered them a new way to fund, create, communicate and interact with their brand community worldwide. In achieving this vision they're breathing new life into what had been a declining industry, by creating a brand that is relevant for a new generation of discerning consumers who value quality garments with a genuine story and honest authentic provenance.
Left - For Spring-Summer 2015, another French brand, Aigle, has collaborated with Le Slip Français. Drawing inspiration from classic French style 'Breton stripes' the capsule collection has six statement pieces including swim shorts, trunks, espadrilles, T-shirt, a tote bag and iconic Aigle wellington boots. The colour palette of the collection is based on the French tricolour and the whole collection is made in France.
Orley
A family affair, the American knitwear brand, Orley, consists of brothers Matthew and Alex Orley and Matthew's wife, Samantha. Orley is a designer brand that launched with a capsule collection of Italian-made knitwear for A/W 2012 and expanded into a full men's ready-to-wear collection for Spring/Summer 2014.
The spring 2015 collection, pictured, is inspired by the photorealist paintings of Robert Bechtle and Robert Cottingham. Orley is known for its combination of elegant yet youthful, irreverent design with a focus on luxury knitwear and commitment to the highest quality materials and manufacturing. The work of the Orley designers subverts classicism, using proprietary stitch techniques and an idiosyncratic colour palette to create a wholly unique product.
Left - Chaz Plais Sweater - £480 from MatchesFashion.com
In 2014, the Orley designers were finalists for the 2014 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award. Orley was also nominated for the 2014 Fashion Group International Rising Star Award in Menswear.
Right - Brooks Striped Knit Polo - £280 from MatchesFashion.com
In 2015,the Orley designers were nominated for the 2015 CFDA Swarovski Award for Menswear and shortlisted for the 2015 LVMH Prize.
TheChicGeek says "Orley love to use Italian fabrics which gives their knitted polos, their signature product, an authenticity. They are pure 'riviera chic' and have some of that Talented Mr Ripley styling I love so much. Perfect with a pair of shorts or chinos on holiday."