How Bragard has been keeping chefs stylish for 90 years

Chef's Special

9 May

Words by Josh Jones

Photography by Matt Hass

From their base in eastern France, Bragard has been making stylish, yet hard-wearing clothes for artisans for nearly a century. Back in 1933, Henri Bragard created a butcher’s apron using a robust canvas which proved so popular it was taken up by nearly the entire profession in France. From that point, together with his wife Simone, Henri started designing innovative collections for all the hospitality industry.

Fast forward to 1976 and Gilles Bragard, Henri’s son, designs and launches the now famous Grand Chef® jacket, in collaboration with Monsieur Paul Bocuse – affectionately known as the “pope of gastronomy”. A noted design classic, it has become an iconic presence in kitchens across the globe. Manufactured exclusively from the finest cotton in the world (Pima Premium) and woven in France’s Lorraine region, the fibres are fine, soft and extremely durable, thanks to the double-twisted spinning method used, while the technical features of the finish ensure the cotton doesn’t shrink.

Bragard continues to create contemporary designs for the hospitality industry and has produced many more chef’s jackets. But it’s the Grand Chef® that maintains its place as the special jacket of some of the greatest chefs in the world – the Bragard expression of French savoir-faire.