Vilebrequin is a French brand, specialized in both swimwear and ready-to-wear for men and women. The brand was created in 1971 in Saint Tropez by Fred Prysquel a photographer and sports automobile journalist. It has stores in Saint-Tropez, Paris, Beverly Hills, Cape Town, Milan, New York City, Washington DC, Beirut, Houston, etc. It was due to Prysquel's passion for automobiles that he named his brand, Vilebrequin, the French word for automobile motor, the crankshaft.