Charvet is expanding its relationship with George Sotelo, the Mexican American, New York-based designer of swimwear brand Thorsun.
After a successful capsule of men’s swim shorts that Sotelo designed in 2020 based on prints from the archives of the French shirtmaker and accessories company, Charvet’s owners are bringing him back for a second round. The brand was founded in 1838 and has been owned by the Colban family since the ’60s.
His latest collection of five trunks features a tailored front with copper-cord-end drawstrings, deep pockets, a hidden elastic back waistband and a more ergonomic design. The copper-cord ends are reminiscent of the original Charvet silk knot cuff links and the patterns feature an irregular repeat print.
Jean-Claude Colban, who co-owns the brand with his sister Anne-Marie, said the collaboration with Sotelo stems from a long friendship that led into the project of translating the company’s neckwear designs into beachwear. “Doing it with George who understands our world and is an expert in his specialty, has been a constantly pleasant and stimulating process. We have been surprised by the coherence between the codes and aesthetics of neckties on one hand and beachwear on the other hand. It may be that some mysterious rules of elegance apply in the same manner to the small piece of silk that adorns a shirt and to the not much larger piece of clothing that is worn on a beach.”
He added that Charvet has “a long history of developing distinctive tie patterns which refined men immediately recognize as ours: they are at the same time simple and original, bold and rooted in tradition, colorful and subtle. Today’s fashion evolution entices us to look at new and fresh ways to use this expression on unexpected pieces of the men’s wardrobe.”
The reaction to the first capsule was “enthusiastic,” he said, and prompted the company to “offer new developments which are not only based on our more abstract patterns but also on our reinterpretations of more traditional decorative designs.”
“I’ve been a fan of Charvet for years,” Sotelo said. “The collaboration made sense because it was a holistic union: creating a swimsuit together with a brand that hasn’t worked with this category since the 1920s.”
The collection will be available for a limited time at the Charvet Paris boutique and Thorsun’s e-commerce site this summer and offered on a wholesale basis for the spring 2024 season. The trunks will retail for $425.