Luella Bartley is back! The very English fashion designer whose quirky ready to wear label was sadly forced out of business at the end of 2009 has been appointed design director at Marc by Marc Jacobs.
Jacobs has handed over the reins at Marc by Marc in a bold move that puts creative control of the brand in the hands of someone other than himself for the first time.
The new team at the helm of the brand is completed by Katie Hillier. The accessories designer who was actually hired first - as creative director - was instrumental in the decision to get Bartley on board, having worked for her previously at Luella.
"I'm very excited to have Katie here in her new role. Her creativity and energy inspires me and everybody she works with," Jacobs told WWD. "She is a great leader and a team player, and a great friend to Robert [Duffy] and me."
Jacobs will remain involved in key brand decisions but going forward his focus will be fixed on his mainline collection and responsibilities as creative director of Louis Vuitton.
It looks like well be hanging on until autumn/winter 2014 to see what the duo come up with expect new product lines and playful capsule collections but something tells us it will be worth the wait.
