Relaunch of luxury swimwear label Réard fails

The ambitious relaunch project for long-established French swimwear label Réard is going no further. The luxury label was liquidated by the Paris trade court on 10th October, after being back in business for one season only, Spring 2017, under the stewardship of sole shareholder Richard Emanuel, who has left the company.

Réard first launched the bikini in 1946, and dropped out of the fashion scene in the 1980s. Richard Emanuel, a Scottish businessman who made a fortune in the telecoms sector, took on the challenge to revive Réard, helped by General Manager Grégory Dalizon and Creative Director Céline Adler.

Their goal was to reposition the label in the luxury resortwear segment, starting with a Spring 2017 collection consisting of over 50 items, inspired by the label's signature style, though reinterpreted with a sophisticated, more pared-down mood.

The collection was available on the market since last May, on Réard's e-tail site and at Parisian concept store Colette. Richard Emanuel planned to invest €10 million in the next three years to turn the relaunch into reality.

From last August however, Réard's sole shareholder began to doubt his ability to raise the necessary capital. The sum he invested for the operation was €2.5 million, well below the figure originally planned.

Despite an encouraging flow of orders for the Spring 2018 collection after the seasonal trade shows, Réard was declared insolvent in early September and put into judicial liquidation on 10th October. Eleven employees have lost their jobs as a result.

Relaunch of luxury swimwear label Réard fails

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