The Independents has acquired the PR agency founded by communications guru Lucien Pagès, Lucien Pagès Communication, the companies announced today in a press release.
Pagès, who will continue to lead his agency, alongside becoming a partner of The Independents, said joining the group “represents a major opportunity”. The statement continued: “Our alliance will not alter the organisation or the structure I have conceived with a specific philosophy.”
During a joint interview with Pagès and The Independents CEO Isabelle Chouvet, Pagès explained: “The synergies are in terms of expertise and working together on projects. We already work with other agencies of The Independents on certain projects. It’s about continuing and amplifying these synergies when they make sense. High-profile events require several agencies. It’s a business that has evolved tremendously. There’s a lot at stake and, as a result, everything that you can bring in terms of expertise and support, is welcome by clients.”
“We’re delighted to welcome Lucien, who is the perfect addition to the puzzle we’ve been building for some years now,” added Chouvet.
Pagès, who has a flair for scouting young designers and a track record of helping them emerge, launched his agency in Paris in 2006, signing American designer Adam Kimmel as his first client. Soon after, Pagès began to represent Japanese designer Chitose Abe, whose Sacai was unknown in Europe at the time. “She was the first womenswear designer I represented. She opened the doors of womenswear to me,” he recalled. These days, his lengthy client list includes Jacquemus, Schiaparelli, Courrèges, Coperni, Loewe, Carven, Victoria Beckham and Byredo.
The agency opened a branch in New York in 2019 where its headcount now sits at 10, with 55 in Paris — representing over 100 brands across fashion, beauty, lifestyle and the arts. Since 2017, when Colette’s Sarah Andelman tapped him for a pop-up, the influential PR with the mischievous sense of humour has found himself in the limelight. “From that moment on, I accepted that I would no longer be in the shadows. I give talks and interviews. I am more visible. It’s not something that I am proud of, it’s part of my job,” he said during an Instagram Live in July 2021.
Chouvet, together with her husband Olivier Chouvet, who co-founded global events and experiences agency K2 in 2013, created The Independents in 2017, as a communications group specialising in luxury and fashion; first acquiring PR and branding agency Karla Otto. The Independents now also owns show production company Bureau Betak, US creative agency Prodject (which notably produces the Met Gala) and influencer marketing platform Lefty. Today, The Independents has 16 agencies in 16 countries, employing 1,200 worldwide, including 200 in Shanghai and 250 in New York.
The superagency has been on an acquisition spree as of late. Since December 2023, it has acquired Atelier Lum, an events agency based in Paris and Dubai; Inca Productions, an events production agency with offices in London and New York; Sunshine, an LA-based agency connecting brands and entertainment; Atelier Athem, a Paris-based collective specialising in scenography and urban design; Kennedy, a London-based events production company; Bureau Béatrice, a multi-media and creative technology company with a strong presence in the Middle East; and French production company Kitten.
With Lucien Pagès Communication, the group adds a prestigious name known for talented designer clients to its portfolio. The alliance comes at a time of consolidation in the communications space, reflecting a wider industry shift towards growing luxury conglomerates.
“Today’s clients are so global that it’s no longer possible, I think, to stand alone. So we have to be able to work together to meet these needs,” noted Chouvet.
“Large groups need players who are in step with them and I think that Isabelle and Olivier have lent prestige and strength to a profession that provides services. The Independents is a group that makes money and creates jobs. Services are important in the fashion and luxury ecosystem,” said Pagès.
In June 2023, The Independents announced a $400 million cash injection led by investment management firm Towerbrook and FL Entertainment, a media group founded by entrepreneur Stéphane Courbit. At the time, a joint press release stated that the financial backing would be used to “support the company in realising its ambition to more than double in size by 2025 [from 2022 numbers], through a strong acquisition strategy and dynamic international expansion”. And it seems like it did: The Independents is gearing up to reach $750 million in sales in 2024, up from $350 million in 2022.
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