MARITHÉ FRANÇOIS GIRBAUD founder doubles down on sustainable fashion

MARITHÉ FRANÇOIS GIRBAUD [Photo by Lee Chung-woo]

Francois Girbaud, the founder of the French fashion brand MARITHÉ FRANÇOIS GIRBAUD, has underscored the importance of sustainability during an interview with Maeil Business Newspaper. The interview was held in Seoul during his visit to South Korea, where his brand has enjoyed a resurgent popularity.

“We are all harming the planet, and consumers also need to take responsibility. We need to move towards waiting when purchasing clothes,” Girbaud said, emphasizing “MARITHÉ has consistently worked towards sustainability.”

MARITHÉ FRANÇOIS GIRBAUD, founded in 1972 by Marithé Bachellerie and Francois Girbaud, is known for its innovative collections based on denim materials, pioneering techniques like stone washing, baggy jeans, and engineered jeans. In Korea, the brand gained popularity among the younger generation from the 1990s.

According to LAYER, MARITHÉ’s exclusive distributor in Korea, the brand recorded impressive growth in domestic sales from January to August this year. Sales increased by about 200 percent compared to a year ago, hitting 50 billion won ($37 million). During this period, the distributor opened 34 new stores and LAYER plans to open an additional 18 stores by the end of the year.

During the interview, Francois Girbaud also expressed his amazement at the enthusiasm of the country’s young generation for MARITHÉ.

“MARITHÉ has been talking about sustainability for a long time and stopped using destructive washing techniques in 1989.”

The brand founders achieved a breakthrough in washing techniques in 1976 when they experimented with adding volcanic rocks to the wash. From the following year, they started labeling their products with the term “stone washing.” The brand direction shifted in 1989 when they observed a massive crowd wearing jeans produced using their innovative technique during the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Revealing the secret to sustaining the brand over several decades, Girbaud stressed, “Innovation, creativity, and sustainability.”

Francois Girbaud positioned himself not as an ‘artist’ or an ‘entertainer’ but as an ‘activist.’

“We have come to a point where we cannot continue with the mistakes of the past, such as destroying things and wasting products.” He went even further in his vision for MARITHÉ, saying, “Ultimately, it’s not making clothes. Making clothes is ridiculous.”

He emphasized the need for ‘pre-order’ production and the importance of consumers taking responsibility for their actions, emphasizing that we are all contributing to the harm being done to the planet.