Vilebrequin’s artistic collaborations become messages thanks to Deux Femmes Noires. The collaboration with Mickalene Thomas and Racquel Chevremont gives rise to a swinwear line that revives the principles of Harlem Renessance
Words GIOVANNI AUDIFFREDI
An artistic space. Not just an accessory to make contact with water. But a perimeter in which to express an artistic identity. These can be precious embroideries, which make the swim boxer a collector’s piece, or cultural commissions, entrusted to visionary artists.
Vilebrequin has made its beachwear identity a form of expression that transcends use, form and context and immerses itself in a more sophisticated dimension. Not just a product of the highest quality, but a way of telling the story through cultural contributions.
Thus was born the collaboration between Vilebrequin and JRP Editions, publisher of art forms, from books to material works. The understanding has resulted in a series of works that pop artists such as John Armaleder, Sylvie Fleury and Kenny Sharf have created imprinting boxers, bikinis, one-piece suits and shirts.
An artistic space. Not just an accessory to make contact with water. But a perimeter in which to express an artistic identity. These can be precious embroideries, which make the swim boxer a collector’s piece, or cultural commissions, entrusted to visionary artists.
Vilebrequin has made its beachwear identity a form of expression that transcends use, form and context and immerses itself in a more sophisticated dimension. Not just a product of the highest quality, but a way of telling the story through cultural contributions.
Thus was born the collaboration between Vilebrequin and JRP Editions, publisher of art forms, from books to material works. The understanding has resulted in a series of works that pop artists such as John Armaleder, Sylvie Fleury and Kenny Sharf have created imprinting boxers, bikinis, one-piece suits and shirts.
The latest collection saw Deux Femmes Noires, the pair formed by Mickalene Thomas and Racquel Chevremont work on the Vilebrequin canvas. Thomas is a well-established artist who has been working on inclusivity for at least fifteen years, using the communication channel of fashion as a reflection of her work. Raquel Chevremont, also African-American, Thomas’s muse and partner, is an artist and curator, who has established herself on the New York scene and now worldwide.
Their work for Vilebrequin has resulted in a line of swimwear inspired by the culture expressed by Harlem Renessence, the intellectual movement for the emancipation and racial equality of the black population in 1920s New York.
These values fused with Vilebrequin’s aesthetic sense have created something truly unique and precious
