In 1946, a mechanic named Louis Réard created a piece of clothing that now hangs in nearly every woman in the western hemisphere’s wardrobe, the bikini. This week, 70 years on, the OG swimwear line relaunches.
When Réard created this groundbreaking item he gave it an equally radical name, calling the two-piece the 'bikini' after the Bikini Atoll island in the South Pacific which was used for testing the atomic bomb. In keeping with this theme he also produced the ‘atome’ costume, which was advertised as the world’s ‘smallest bathing suit’ . Thanks to the early adopters like Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot and Bond girl Ursula Andress it exploded onto the swimming scene and became one of fashion’s biggest success stories.
After years floundering in obscurity, Réard Paris has been reborn for summer ‘17. Now helmed by Céline Adler who comes from a stint at Chloé, it’s set to be a brand to watch. In keeping with it’s St Tropez heritage the brand’s new look is refined, elegant and indebted to history. Look for two-pieces with cutouts and fluid lines and supportive swimsuits with cutaways and asymmetric silhouettes.
Liked this? You might also be interested in:
Follow Lucy on Instagram @lucyalicemorris
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.