A.P.C. under new ownership
03/03/2023
Atelier de Production et de Création, the name behind the well-known acronym A.P.C., and arguably one of the first slow fashion brands, was founded by Jean Touitou in 1987 in Paris. The company says it now draws 80% of its revenues, believed to be in the €100+ million, from international markets. It operates some 100 retail stores, and online sales make up 30% of sales.
In a recent blog post, Jean Touitou explained how denim was the very first product to be made by A.P.C. “To launch a brand, I had no personal wealth and I didn’t trust bankers, so I started working as a ‘ghost designer’ for a number of brands. One of them, based in Paris, had a big denim business,” he wrote. Mr Touitou wanted to make a pair of jeans, the owner of the brand gave him a bolt of Japanese selvedge denim and one piece of advice: when you make your pattern make sure to place the pieces so that the two edges will be joined at the outside of the leg seams. “This is what I did, but I didn’t realise, or know, the other details and rules that denim heads take so very seriously. For instance, the fact that the belt is sewn in the bias. I didn’t know this, and cut it on the grain, which is how it is to this day on A.P.C. jeans.”
The statement released by L Catterton said that Jean, and his wife Judith, who is Art Director, will be staying on at the company. The Touitou family will retain a minority stake.
L Catterton invests in a wide range of consumer brands, from pets to wellness and to fashion. It has backed such companies as Everlane, Ganni, ba&sh, JOTT along with Birkenstock, Etro and Savage X Fenty.
Image: A.P.C.
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