PARIS — Followers of Olympia Le-Tan will have seen that in August the designer vacated her Paris apartment to move to New York. And she’s settled in fast.
The French accessories designer, known for her whimsical hand-embroidered book clutches, has joined the design team of Marc Jacobs, WWD has learned. Her title could not immediately be learned.
A company spokesman confirmed the hire, while noting there are no plans to revive the Marc by Marc Jacobs line, last helmed by Luella Bartley and accessories genius Katie Hillier. “We are excited to have Olympia join Marc’s design team. We have a talented group of designers and look for people who bring new sensibilities and ideas to help bring Marc’s vision to life,” he said.
The move marks a new chapter for Le-Tan, who in July announced on Instagram that she was leaving the brand that carries her name. Le-Tan had quietly dropped off the Paris Fashion Week calendar last fall after being placed into receivership. Though Le-Tan never divulged details, it is understood she is losing the rights to her name after parting ways with Gregory Bernard, the French producer behind films including “Lagerfeld Confidential,” who helped her set up her house in 2009.
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I first started this journey 20 years ago at my mother’s kitchen table with my own two hands, a needle and thread, and the naive little idea of creating a world for women, combining my love of craft, books, fantasy, sex, and nostalgia. I wanted it to be feminine, irreverent, whimsical, mischievous, and most of all make us feel fucking cool! Thanks to my remarkable team, wonderful artists and artisans, the love and support of my friends, family and you all, I somehow managed to build a body of work I am incredibly proud of. Unfortunately, like all journeys, there are obstacles along the way. As strange as this may sound, effective immediately, I am no longer affiliated with the Olympia Le-Tan brand. But I am sure the next chapter is soon to come and will be just as enchanting and exciting. I will still personally be posting all kinds of stuff about my life, my friends and my work on this page, as I always have. I hope you will all join me on my new adventure and look forward to sharing the juicy details of whatever it is with you soon… With love and thanks, Olympia.? #olympialetan #epilogue #farewellOLT #tonewbeginnings ??: 私から皆さんにお知らせしたいこと 幼い頃に母がキッチンで料理するのを見ながら、テーブルにお裁縫道具を広げて遊んでいたことが私のファッションの原点です。それから20年間、大好きな文学や手芸、ファンタジーやセックスなどの要素を組み合わせて、女性のための小宇宙を作りたいと常に考えてきました。ファッションを通して、常識に捉れない“粋”な女性を応援したかったのです。女性らしいけれども自由奔放で、冗談を言い合ったり、羽目をはずしたり。何よりも、私達女性が“ファッキング・クール（fucking cool）”であることを声を大にして世に伝えたかったのです。 これまで支えてくれたチーム、芸術家や職人達、家族や友人、そしてブランドを応援してくれた皆さんには言葉で表せない程に感謝しています。そして共に達成した全ての事柄を誇りに思っています。 全ての挑戦には困難が付きものです。突然のお知らせとなりますが、私は「オランピア・ル・タン」のブランドから本日付けで離れることを決断しました。とても残念ですが、また新しい挑戦はすぐに始まり、これまで以上に素晴らしいものになると確信しています。今後もこのアカウントを通して私個人の生活や作品について皆さんとシェアしていきます。私の新しいプロジェクトを期待して待っていて下さい。心踊るようなファッションをお届けすることを約束しますから。 感謝と愛を込めて。 オランピア
A post shared by Olympia Le-Tan (@olympialetan) on Jul 9, 2018 at 8:26am PDT
“Unfortunately, like all journeys, there are obstacles along the way. As strange as this may sound, effective immediately, I am no longer affiliated with the Olympia Le-Tan brand. But I am sure the next chapter is soon to come and will be just as enchanting and exciting. I will still personally be posting all kinds of stuff about my life, my friends and my work on this page, as I always have,” she said.
In 2012 the designer launched a pin-up inspired ready-to-wear line, followed by her first and only store just behind the Palais-Royal in Paris in 2014. The space featured walls clad in a printed monogram fabric designed by her father, illustrator Pierre Le-Tan, who provided all the prints for the collections.
The following year, she received a cash injection of 1 million euros from French investment firm Audacia to expand her range of products and reinforce her e-commerce site, as reported.
Le-Tan’s last collection was shown in March 2017, and was followed by a Minnie Mouse-themed capsule collection for Japanese retailer Uniqlo, as well as a makeup range with Lancôme last fall.
Le-Tan’s hire suggests the design team is still in flux. Last April, Marc Jacobs International said it was parting ways after two-and-a-half months with John Targon, cofounder and codesigner of Baja East, who had been hired as creative director of the contemporary division.
Le-Tan has long been on Jacobs’ radar: He sells her book-shaped bags at his Bookmarc store in New York, and some are still in stock.