Explainer / How Marithé + François Girbaud made a comeback in the fashion world – especially in Korea

If you’re up to date on the latest fashion trends, there’s a chance you’ve heard names like Matin Kim and Mardi Mercredi. Fashionistas these days can often be found wearing a Matin Kim tank top, or a T-shirt and cap adorned with Mardi Mercredi’s signature flower. Both are Korean brands – yet you might not be able to tell if you were to walk into one of their stores for the first time, or heard their names in passing – both are derived from French (“matin” meaning morning, and “mardi mercredi” referring to days of the week, Tuesday and Wednesday).

You may also be familiar with Marithé + François Girbaud. Named after its founders – Marithé Bachellerie and François Girbaud – the brand was first launched in 1972 (though the partnership dates back to 1964). The original company filed for bankruptcy in 2012 and went quiet for several years before the brand name was revitalised in 2019 by a South Korean company, Layer, which acquired the label’s licensing rights in the country.

Marithé + François Girbaud’s unmistakably French logo – complete with the word Paris at the bottom – is now just as likely to be found on the streets of Asian cities as it is across Europe. So what’s the story behind the label’s big comeback? We break down how Layer completely rebranded Marithé + François Girbaud for a new generation of consumers, why the Korean distributors behind Matin Kim and Mardi Mercredi later got involved, and how these cult brands have taken off so quickly, with a growing number of stores in Hong Kong and beyond.

Why is Marithé + François Girbaud famous?

The label has a storied history and first made a prominent impact on pop culture at its peak in the 1980s and 1990s. Founded in 1972 as Paris’ self-proclaimed first concept store, Marithé + François Girbaud soon became home to several different lines and other brands hand-picked by Bachellerie and Girbaud. In 1983, the designers launched a line of men’s sportswear, Momento Due, while the star of the moment, Flashdance actress Jennifer Beals, wore the brand’s Maillaparty knitwear line for her French Elle magazine cover shoot.

Marithé François Girbaud fans from its heyday know the brand for pioneering designer denim and producing elevated workwear pieces, the likes of which were worn by celebrities including Janet Jackson and Michael Jordan, who famously donned a full denim look for his first pitch at a Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball game in 1993. The brand would go on to become famous in hip-hop circles, name-checked by Outkast, The Notorious B.I.G. and more, its signature Girbaud Shuttle jeans taking off during the early 2000s.

How did it go bankrupt?