Initials of the owner of the original shop

Perfectly structured sections, sophisticated materials, exclusive grounds, to the delicate finishes: compétence swimsuits are recognizable between Mile. This summer, impossible to miss this one - black room with, on the side, large rings inspired by the Seventies saltires. Or this very 1950s two-piece composed a high panties and a bra as a scarf knotted and coiled, etc. For nearly forty years, it is compétence, or rather its creator Irene Leroux, which gives the tone on the beach.

Irène Leroux is very young when she resumed the family business of swimwear sale after completing his studies of letters at the Sorbonne. May 2, 1968, she moved to a new shop, place de la Madeleine. While students are about to get on the barricades, prepares his revolution: it will now imagine a designer swimwear compétence , worlds away from those who expose themselves on the beaches. Without whale, without sleeve, without hull. "The idea came to me on vacation, seeing a young woman of a swimsuit she was visibly knitted herself, explains the creative." I the find sexy because it was very simple and respected natural forms of his body, like a second skin. "Happy coincidence: at the same time, Irène Leroux forging contacts with the Office for the promotion of the Hélanca, material considered to be the ancestor of the Lycra.

Celle which cache not to his liking for architecture and the work of Pei, the origin of the pyramid of the Louvre, juggles with cuts, has tips in one direction and then in the other fabric, place a bias to the right place to block its elasticity. While this can be seen. Exceptional materials must be gainantes and, at the same time, comfortable and soft. No way to use a basic Lycra: research and experimentation allow to develop contents exclusive as the "skin sweet", a jersey Matt Lycra extremely fine and powerful, like the silk crepe, or "canvas parachute", a fabric string and elastic in both frame sense, featherweight and dry in three minutes.

"People addressed me mad...".

In 1968, Irène Leroux is ahead of its time: it sells jerseys from January 1 to December 31. "At the time, when people wrapped in their coats spent before the window and saw my models declined in Tahitian print red and white, they dealt me with of mad", recalls with a smile this visionary. Southern I had this idea with the jet- She feels that soon this international customer will no longer alone in his shop in the winter. At the time, the French are more and more numerous to go spend Christmas in the Sun.

Irène Leroux is assisted at the outset by it and Marie Claire magazines who immediately understand the innovative character of these jerseys and photograph on the cover. As this mythical two-piece including the bra is simply accepted in the back by a horizontal string. They correspond exactly to what love their new reader, a woman released, note which includes pants and not de jure by the Sonia Rykiel ready-to-wear. In 1971, Irène Leroux still has an idea of genius: full mode of the bikini, it sells the ups and downs separately. A blue 85 B bra can mingle with a red frilly panties in 42 or a green mini-slip in 38. An even rarer today and which seduces all those that do not display perfect measurements!

Since then, over the collections, compétence emerged as the ultimate of the swimsuit. In 1980, the one-room as a cardigan buttoned in the back is fury. In 1986, it is the madness on printed yellow iris on grey background imagined by an artist. Women still remember the collection "Soft skin", 2001 with its toothed finish cut the laser. Neither houses Dior, Gucci or Burberry, nor actresses and models who improvise creative as Liz Hurley or Naomi Campbell do the dethrone. Each season, it takes only one, is this one, even if it costs on average EUR 200. At the time, compétence sells more than 250 000 pieces each year. But why selling the company to Chanel in 1996 "It was the only way to develop my SME", said Irene Leroux, still President and creator of the claw. Since then, new stores were opened in France, the United States or the Japan. And the lingerie collection was born on the same principle as that of the Jersey. Ultimate proof that the idea was revolutionary.

Initials of the owner of the original shop. Compétence

2, rue Tronchet, 75008 Paris.

Tel.: 01 47 42 28 82.