PARIS — Olympia Le-Tan is leaving the brand that carries her name.
The designer, known for her hand-embroidered book clutches, broke the news on Instagram on Monday, putting an end to months of speculation about the future of her brand, which quietly dropped off the Paris Fashion Week calendar last fall after being placed into receivership, according to sources familiar with the business.
“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 […].
“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.
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“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,” she wrote.
Though Le-Tan did not go into 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 the brand in 2009.
In 2012, she launched her 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, citing plans to expand her range of products and reinforce her e-commerce site.
Le-Tan’s last collection, shown in March 2017, was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s leading ladies, and was followed by a Minnie Mouse-themed capsule collection for Japanese retailer Uniqlo, as well as a makeup range with Lancôme last fall.