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The “artist of the tropics” gives a different touch to clothes...
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The “artist of the tropics” gives a different touch to clothes...
It’s an artist’s story - Jean-Claude LeGall’s atypical path, which has led to a happy success-story allying friendship and business… But he couldn’t have managed his beachwear business alone. He owes a great measure of his success to Laurent LeBelloch and the latter’s wife.
You must have seen the Legall shop on the first floor of Caudan Waterfront. You could well take this for just another beach wear shop… But that is surely not the case. The reason is simple: LeGall has that little something that makes it different. The painter’s touch.
Jean-Claude LeGall was destined to become an optician. And this is what he did for about five years. He left his native Brittany when he was thirty or so for Africa where he started as an optician. However, he soon realized this wasn’t what he really wanted to do and he left for New Caledonia five years later.
This is where he discovered both the method of silk-screen printing and drawing. The life in the islands gave him that little “click” that took him to this job. After New Caledonia, he went to Tahiti, then to Madagascar and finally to Reunion where he’s been living for more than 25 years.
Jean-Claude Legall is a great “traveller”. The drawings on the T-shirts, trousers, shorts, shirts, dresses or skirts of his brand show the effects of the places he’s visited. According to the company’s manager, Laurent LeBelloch, Jean-Claude LeGall can be considered as the “artist of the tropics.” He has certainly been – and is still – inspired by what he sees in Reunion Island and in Mauritius where he spends two weeks every month.
When a customer buys a Legall garment, it’s certainly to get this signature from Legall,” the manager adds. He incorporates the various cultures he has experienced in his drawings.
Although his main business is T-shirts, Jean-Claude Legall is a real artist and has had several exhibitions in Reunion. He has a permanent exhibition of his drawings in some hotels there, at their request. A sign that his pictures are most appreciated.
However, in 1996, the artist was getting tired but still wanted to make his work known throughout the world. This is where Laurent LeBelloch and his wife came into the picture.
“I met him on the beach in Reunion where I was windsurfing. I had just left my job as a windsurf instructor in a hotel and was looking for something else. As soon as we started to talk, he explained to me what he was doing and said he was looking for someone to help him run the business,” remembers Laurent. “And I don’t think any of us three could say we regret what we’ve done today. We are just friends who work together and it’s all about trusting each other… I think it’s a nice story!”
Exciting retirement</B>
At the beginning, the production was done only in Reunion but they came to Mauritius to cut down costs. As a result, the artist spends half his time in Reunion where he creates his designs and in Mauritius where he relaxes in hotels. At 65, it is surely a good way of earning his retirement.
Laurent deals with production – he subcontracts to two factories here and exports to many islands such as Guyana, Reunion, Seychelles, Mayotte and countries like Australia and France… Without forgetting their main shop and showroom at Caudan Waterfront and a smaller one in Le Morne. His wife is the designer of the collections.
With one collection – more than 150 models – and 130,000 pieces produced every year, the company can’t complain. “Of course, we’re not one of the biggest textile companies of the country but we’re quite satisfied with our products at our level.” The main source of satisfaction is that they do something different from the others… “We’re closer to handicraft than to industrial work and are proud of what we are.”
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