Spiridon is reborn in France to dress eco-responsible runners
By The editorial staff | Published on 08/25/2020
Having become cult, the brand celebrating a certain idea of running, reappears in France in the fall of 2020, following the initiative of enthusiasts.
Created in 1972 by a translator and a French teacher who loved running, the Spiridon brand lived on in the form of an international magazine published six times a year until 1989 (111 issues), as well as through a collection of sporting goods, including a famous orange jersey featuring the little barefoot man created by stylist Karel Matejovsky.
Inspired by the name of the first Olympic marathon champion in 1986 – the Greek Spyridon Louis – the brand embodied the democratization of running by defending the concept of running in freedom, behind a slogan: “Run with us all”. . The right of women to run the same distances as men was one of the magazine's biggest battles.
This sporting and cultural adventure was retraced in 2016 in the film "Free to run" directed by Pierre Morath. "It was after seeing this film that I said to myself: 'If I want to do something that makes sense, then I'm relaunching a Spiridon brand'", explains Franck Tuil, entrepreneur and passionate runner. Personal promise kept since this man who worked in fashion and entertainment allows the brand to be reborn in France in September 2020.
After buying Spiridon's operating rights from the rights holders and embarking Karel Matejovsky on this new adventure, Franck Tuil piloted Spiridon's first “Archive” collection, which is now marketed online on a dedicated site. This new collection pays tribute to the pioneers of the Spiridon movement and to all the “spiridonians” of the 1970s and 1980s. The desire is to promote fair, sustainable and eco-responsible technical fashion and sportswear. “Our collections are 'limited editions'. We produce in small series to fight against overproduction, avoid overstocks and waste. Our prices are set, as accurately as possible, according to our production costs. An essential posture in the spirit so particular to Spiridon”, concludes Franck Tuil.