In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Paul & Shark has many identities. At its roots, it’s a sailing brand, having been founded in 1975 by Paolo Dini after a visit to a Maine sailmaker’s workshop. For a long time the word “yachting” appeared alongside the brand’s logo and wordmark, a testament to its nautical style and heritage. Others know the brand because of its popularity in England’s soccer culture, having been imported back across the channel by travelling fans who had discovered Paul & Shark on trips to Italy. For them, Paul & Shark is a foundational “casual” brand.
Lately, the Italian brand has been reinventing itself a little bit, making a turn to a more mature and luxurious look. Often, this is a hard proposition for brands, especially ones that have been successful enough to be around for 50 years; add to that the recent blokecore trend that saw men scouring eBay for vintage sportswear, including Paul & Shark pieces, and the move represents even more of a risk. Yet the company went ahead and this time last year, the company rebranded itself, with a streamlined, elegant logo and wordmark.
Now, Paul & Shark is turning to France, of all places, to highlight its forthcoming Fall-Winter 2025 collection, entitled Riviera Deauville. On Saturday morning, in Milan, the brand turned a pasticceria into a French boulangerie, replete with macaroons and croissants rather than cornetti and biscotti, and café au lait rather than cappucino. It seemed a curious choice, considering that the brand has mostly been associated with Italy and England. But, upon closer inspection, perhaps it was an extension of the maturing that Paul & Shark has undergone — seeking to distance itself a bit from its past geographical association.
The clothes were chic and luxurious, but the style and the layering seemed more Italian than French, with rich textures, lots of layering and mixing neutrals and creams with darker tones. The French connection may seem even more tenuous, then.
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Ben Henkler and Tommy May
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Alex Sanchez
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Daniek Aleksic
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Denis Cebulec
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Felipe Carlo
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Fresh Mula
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Gregg Sulkin
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Luca Daffè
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Luca Vezil
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Manav Chabbra
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Mattia Basso
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Stefano Tomadini
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Yusuf Panseri
In France, Paul & Shark Finds Itself
Zack Lugo
But in this day and age, a successful clothing brand needs to sell an idea, a dream, a lifestyle. If Paul & Shark’s pivot to the world of Italian luxury is to be successful — and to judge from the guests on Saturday morning, it is, thus far — it needs to craft that lifestyle. Only then will the brand’s myriad past identities over the last half-century take a back seat to the identity it wishes to project into the future. Paul & Shark is not a French brand and while this might be a Riviera-themed collection, the clothes remain undeniably Italian. But this collection is meant to appeal to the worldly man who vacations in the French Riviera, who can tell the difference between a croissant and a cornetto; and while he might prefer the French pastry, he always opts for Italian luxury.
