This Ain't Your Halbae's Marithé + François Girbaud
Marithé + François Girbaud is back — but different. In a new campaign fronted by actress Go Youn-Jung, the classic streetwear brand appears to go full-on rebrand.
The truth, however, is a little less complicated.
Instead of relying on the enduring allure of nostalgia by re-releasing pieces inspired by its own archive, a strategy that's worked well for brands like Chloé and Balenciaga, the Marithé + François Girbaud seen here is a wholly separate Korean-owned company with its own K-fashion look.
On its website, the Korean Marithé + François Girbaud describes itself as a "modernized reinterpretion" of a brand that was as popular in '90s Korea as it was in America. But Girbaud is old enough that there's a decent chance that any given number of halbae — "grandpa" in Korean — grew up admiring it.
The OG denim brand, commonly shortened to just Girbaud, was founded in France in the '60s but really hit its cultural stride three or four decades later when its Shuttle tape jeans were forever immortalized in rap hits like Juvenile's "Ha" and Lil Wayne's "Hot Boy." Its founders also created Closed, another historic denim brand looking to renew its vitality.
But the Korean Girbaud looks a lot less like a Kriss Kross music video and more like a prep school commencement ceremony.
Its Spring 2025 collection leans heavily on American collegiate-style staples like branded pastel crewnecks, varsity baseball jackets and knit cardigans. There's even a "Doodle Bear" motif, which takes inspiration from popular graphic accents like Ralph Lauren's Polo Bear mascot and the Palm Angels teddy bear.
This angle is made especially interesting considering that the Western Girbaud itself has been angling for a rebrand amidst an independent youth culture renaissance.
On TikTok, the Girbaud jean hype has been steadily brewing, with users sharing their vintage MFG finds found in thrift stores.
Online resale websites like eBay and Poshmark also have a healthy stock of Girbaud jeans available, so if the Korean MFG doesn’t tickle your fancy, you have options.
