Founded in Paris by Irene Leroux in 1968, it was the first company to sell swimwear all year round, instead of simply during summer (the industry standard then) to appeal to the glam jet set.

Leroux was also the first to sell the tops and bottoms of her two-piece suits separately, not only giving women the choice to customise their look, but also to cater to more realistic body proportions.

The brand’s signature: swimwear with simple, sleek lines in unexpected yet sophisticated prints and colours. The best-selling styles are the plunging V-neck one-piece, the streamlined suit with a back cut-out, the bandeau top, and boy shorts.

The label’s other trademark: zero boning or padding. Yep, that means visible nipples, but it also means a more modern look. (Come on, part of French chic is to not care.)

Every piece promises to sculpt and flatter the body, thanks to the brand’s exclusive Peau Douce, or soft skin, fabric that’s a mix of polyamide and spandex, and stitched on the bias. What this means: It shapes one’s figure a la Spanx (but is more tear-resistant).

This season, an ultra quick-drying version of the Peau Douce fabric has been introduced – it’s half the density of the original (read: It really feels like second skin).

With an in-house R&D team, its construction and technology rival that of high fashion houses. To create this season’s Solar line that features an eyelet in the form of a sun motif, for example, the Peau Douce fabric is first laminated to prevent tearing. Then, cylindrical elastic tubes are inserted by hand to create the raised “rays”, while invisible stitching is used to ensure sleek lines.

Among swimwear brands, its designs reportedly go through the most trials before hitting the racks, including more than 35 fabric tests (sun resistance, piling, you name it) and being test-driven by its female staff, who come in all shapes and sizes.

Expect about 70 styles ($320-$700) and 10 exclusive new shades this season, including sunny apricot yellow and a punchy apple green, at the brand’s first boutique here (#01-12 Four Seasons Hotel).

An adapted version of this appeared in Female‘s May 2016 issue.

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