Company type | joint-stock company |
---|---|
Industry | Fashion |
Founded | Paris, France (1972) |
Founder | François Girbaud and Marithé Bachellerie |
Headquarters | , France |
Key people | Pierre Zelker |
Products | clothes : jeans, coat, etc. |
Revenue | €900 million (1990) ; €200 million (2011) [1] |
Parent | Mad Lane |
Subsidiaries | Matricule 11342 (1975), Compagnie des Montagnes et des forêts (1975), Closed (1976), Compléments (1979), Maillaparty (1979)... |
Website |
www |
Marithé + François Girbaud is an international clothing company based in France and founded by stylists François Girbaud and Marithé Bachellerie in 1972. [2] [3] [4] They created several brands : Compagnie des montagnes et des forêts, Ça, Closed, Matricule 11342, etc. [5] They are world-known especially for industrialization of the stonewash ( stone washing process), baggy trousers and skin-tight jeans. [6] [7] [8]
The fashion duo began their career working in the Parisian clothes shop Western House, in 1964. [9] Then Maurice Chorenslup, Pierre Zelcer and Jacques Rozenker helped the couple to create their first brands. [10]
The 1980s to 1990s were the decades of biggest successes for the French brand, with a $900 million worldwide turnover. In 2010, the group was still generating €200 million of revenue. [11]
In 1983, the Girbaud duo created costumes for Jennifer Beals and Michael Nouri, actors in the Flashdance movie. [12]
In 1992, Kris Kross, the rap/hip hop duo known for hit song " Jump", were wearing Girbaud's jeans in their music video. [13] [14] [15]
In 1995, Marithé et François began using new cutting and assembly techniques: laser, ultra-sound, techno-fusion. [16] They then launched the new bleu éternel process (1997), which prevents indigo denim from fading. The garment remains soft, comfortable and retains its main properties: depth and authenticity of color. Wattwash, the laser treatment of denim, artificially ages the fabric and reduces water consumption by 97.5%. This provides an opportunity to raise consumers' ecological awareness. [17] [18]
In June 2012, it was reported that Girbaud had filed for bankruptcy and that its websites were down. [19]
In 2015, Marithé Bachellerie and François Girbaud created a new company named Mad Lane (an itinerant concept store) but were still using the original name Marithé + François Girbaud. [20] [21]