Rue du Mail, the fashion label helmed by Martine Sitbon and named for the location of its Paris HQ, is taking a break.

Having launched to much fanfare in 2006, Rue du Mail quickly established itself as a go-to for girls looking to replicate inject a soupçon of Parisian je ne sais quoi into their wardrobes.

But the economic downturn has given the business a bashing, and it will take a hiatus of ‘at least a year’, WWD reports, while the team regroups, refocuses, and tries to make a a future-proof plan.

The big question, according to founder Jimmy Chan, will be: ‘How do we keep our creative integrity in today’s business environment, yet still be more competitive?’

Sitbon is behind the strategy to make the business ‘more adapted to today’, but is free to work on new projects during the hiatus. Watch this space.