Merino swim shorts make a splash across the world

For the first time, iconic French swimwear brand Vilebrequin has incorporated Merino wool into its range, launching a set of three Merino wool swim shorts in partnership with The Woolmark Company, ready for the northern hemisphere summer. Of all the places you’d expect to find Merino wool, the beach is probably the last. But in its pursuit of new markets for Australian wool, AWI subsidiary The Woolmark Company has teamed up with Vilebrequin to launch a set of Woolmark-certified swim shorts.

“By partnering with Vilebrequin, we are helping bring the sophistication of worsted tailoring to a new market for Australian wool” John Roberts, AWI CEO

Vilebrequin is a French luxury brand specialising in swimwear and ready-to-wear for men and women. It opened its first store in Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera in the 1971. Today, the brand has a global presence in more than 62 countries.

Fusing its 50+ years of tailoring know-how with a flair for experimenting, Vilebrequin’s innovative Merino wool swim shorts for men draw on traditional suiting methods from weaving to pattern cutting and pocket placement.

Vilebrequin played with the idea of a ‘suit made for swimming’, using the quality and technical attributes of Woolmark-certified Super 120’s Merino wool from REDA’s Active collection.

Driven by innovation and drawn to Merino wool’s performance qualities, Vilebrequin also prioritises sustainability and was attracted to the natural, renewable and biodegradable properties of the wool. Being a swimwear company, Vilebrequin was particularly impressed that wool does not contribute to microplastic pollution of the oceans.

“Merino wool is a real source of eco-innovation, and perfectly in line with Vilebrequin’s target to create 80% of collections using exclusively sustainable fabrics and processes by 2023,” said Vilebrequin CEO, Roland Herlory.

The shorts are not only perfect for being in the water. After swimming, the shorts can dry quickly in 5 to 7 minutes, which according to Vilebrequin is much quicker than the target level. And while simply relaxing at the beach, the ultra-breathable, thermo-regulating and UV resistant properties of Merino wool keep the wear comfortable under the sun.

Source: AWI