Hartford

In 1979 designer Yves Chareton launched his own collextion 'Hartford', having previously designed shirts for Hermes.

He opened his first Hartford shop in Bordeaux in 1986. The collection expanded to include knitwear, polos, washed tees and above all swimwear - which became the talk of the beach.

Liberty menswear buyer Simon Spiteri says Hartford is 'what everyone should wear to the Riviera'. And of Chareton's lairy Hawaiian hibiscus-print swimming shoirts he adds: 'They're great if you;ve got a Magnum fixation!'