A poster from the store in the 1950s.
Founded in 1941 in Paris, Au Vieux Campeur ("The Old Camper"), which later expanded to Lyon, Marseille and Grenoble, has long been a favorite destination for outdoor enthusiasts, from casual hikers to seasoned explorers. The retailer offers everything from hiking and sailing shoes to ski and diving suits, high-tech fleece jackets and bicycle helmets. Arthur Gerbi, director of the Paris concept store Merci, took on the challenge of broadening the appeal of this highly specialized label by co-creating a new line with the brand, under the name Au Vieux Campeur Congés Payés ("The Old Camper's Paid Holidays").
"Before founding Au Vieux Campeur, my grandfather, Roger de Rorthays, was tasked with designing a 'paid leave' section for La Samaritaine [a Parisian department store] just after the 1936 law was enacted. At the time, it mainly offered camping equipment, which was the main leisure activity," explained Aymeric de Rorthays, director of Au Vieux Campeur, which remains an independent, family-owned business. "For a long time, our customers asked for an in-house label, but we are a specialized multi-brand retailer. Creating a brand and designing collections is not our expertise!" So Gerbi's proposal arrived at just the right time.
