byblos

byblos is an Italian ready-to-wear fashion brand established in 1973 as a part of clothing company Genny. The name of the brand comes from a luxury hotel and celebrity hot spot in St. Tropez (France). Genny was founded by Arnoldo Girombelli and his wife Donatella in the 60s. byblos became an independent brand in 1983. byblos designs are youthful, colorful, sporty yet elegant.

Most notable designer that worked for byblos was Gianni Versace from 1977 to 1979 (who also designed for Genny). However, the 1980s and early 1990s were the heyday of byblos. During that time the designers were a British duo, Keith Varty and Alan Cleaver. Varty and Cleaver were dismissed in 1996 after 15 years, and directly blamed for the sales decline of byblos in the mid ’90s. Richard Tyler was appointed the new designer in 1997 and steered the brand towards more minimalistic aesthetic – a complete antithesis of the previous designers’ work. That didn’t last long, however. In 1998 designer Richard Bartlett came aboard and brought back the colorful and youthful spirit of the ’80s byblos, only making the silhouettes more up-to-date. In 2001 Martine Stibon became one of the byblos designers with Sandy Dalal. In the years 2002-06 the designers were Greg Myler, Stefano Citron, and Federico Piaggi. Manuel Facchini became byblos’ designer in 2006. A Central Saint Martin’s School of Art and Design graduate, his work celebrates previous byblos designs while adding a clean, contemporary view and freshness to it.

Written by Odessa Vintage

from a S/S 1989 blazer

Courtesy of Odessa Vintage

from a 1980s suit

Courtesy of Jonathan Walford