Founded in the 1930s, it owes its origins to France Sport, a company founded by Charles Muller and Charles Diebold in Strasbourg, France. At the time, the company sold ski wax, climbing equipment and winter sports clothing. In 1948, during the Olympic Winter Games, the brand increased its notoriety in an incredible way thanks to the podium of Henri Oreiller (who wore a Skidress sweater) and in the 1970s it expanded internationally. However, in 1980 the brand went into hibernation and in 2013 it was awakened by the 19cent48 company, which relaunched it as “French Sport Chic”.
Today, the brand is true to its roots. With a sport-chic design, the collection takes up the mountain lifestyle and recalls a bygone era. Classic cuts reinvented, technical fabrics, elegance and refinement, are the main principles of our clothes:
Come back into the depth of our history :
1930
Genesis of a Dandy Montagnard style
Born in the 1930s, Skidress® owes its origin to the France Sport company created by Charles Muller and Charles Diebold in Strasbourg. This company traded in wax, sealskin for skiing, but also winter sportswear. Charles Diebold was one of the creators of Val d’Isère, of the first French Ski School in 1936, of the “Chamois de France” in 1938, but also of the Spring Grand Prix in 1947, which became the “Critérium de la Première neige” in 1955.
1948
The brand is enjoying one of its heyday in St. Moritz during the Olympic Winter Games. Equipped with Skidress®, Henri Oreiller from Val d’Isère became the first French Olympic Downhill champion by winning the Downhill 4 seconds ahead of the second, the Austrian Franz Gabl.
Henri Oreiller
1950
Robert Mathy joins forces with Charles Muller to take over at Skidress®. He completes the takeover of all parts of the company and sets out to develop the brand. Coming from textiles, Robert Mathy gradually left wax and seal skins in favor of clothing.
1960
In the 60s, Skidress® revolutionized ski clothing by creating the Egg stirrup pant, this pant uses Elastiss, a stretch fabric designed by Jean Laurent. Since the Elastiss is elastic only one way, Robert Mathy has the idea of adding a strip of stockinette stitch to the outer side of the leg and stitching the other piece of Elastiss in reverse. Enough to allow perfect extensibility in both directions. By combining unique style and extraordinary efficiency, the Egg stirruppant does not take long to make many followers beyond the small world of competition. Showing off in a Skidress® Egg is becoming the latest chic on the French slopes! But Robert Mathy did not stop there and created a 100% fashion brand: Skidress® Chaparral. To design it, he enlisted the services of young stylists who would soon make a name for themselves in fashion. Emmanuelle Khanh thus designed the first Skidress® Chaparral collections before launching her own ready-to-wear brand herself and achieving enormous success with her glasses. Then, a very young stylist takes over at Skidress® Chaparral. His name: Thierry Mugler! Its original style worked wonders and the brand enjoyed great success with stars of the time such as Gilbert Bécaud, Sheila, Sylvie Vartan, Michel Polnareff but also with the Shah of Iran.
1972
Skidress® is developing internationally, with among others Lebanon and Japan where Skidress® signs licensing agreements and creates patterns adapted to the size of the Japanese.
2013
At the start of the 1980s, the brand was put to sleep … before being awakened in 2013 by the 19cent48 company, which revived “Le Sport Chic à la Française”.
2020
Great style on the slopes and in the city
Faithful to the brand’s historic values, the collections revisit the art of mountain living. Sport-Chic creations whose evocative lines of an era and the richness of the details recall the codes of a unique style. A racy elegance is now part of a contemporary dimension thanks to the use of technical materials and reinvented classic cuts. Skidress® creations are designed by a French designer and made mainly from fabrics made in France and Italy. Glamorous trend with fitted cut, V-neck, fur and darts for Madame; chic and neat for Monsieur with classic lines, reinforced elbows, twin-set models and false collars, the stylistic details enrich each creation. Each model bears the brand’s signature: Blue White Red braid and hexagonal Skidress® logo. Designed to experience the mountain differently, Skidress® creations celebrate the ultimate alliance between comfort and refinement. A double requirement that takes on its full meaning on the slopes as in the city …
2021
Forever Chic!
More than ever, the urban shift is continuing.
Anchoring in mountain values, the quality of the materials initially used for sport, the warmth are still relevant, but the urban chic style is strengthening.
Comfortable and warm clothes, yes, but to wear every day, in town in particular, as in all your explorations, trips, outings.
