J. Lindeberg founder Johan Lindeberg has cut ties with his namesake label. Johan said he hasn’t been very involved with J. Lindeberg since it was bought out by Swedish investment firm Proventus in 2007. But he, along with his wife, Marcella, have been keeping busy: Justin Timberlake recruited the couple to work on William Rast over three seasons ago, and retailers have been salivating over their creations, acid-wash among them, ever since.
Meanwhile, drama brewed at the house of Lindeberg. A new design director was appointed without Johan’s input and the womenswear line that was supposed to relaunch for fall 2009 — designed by Marcella — never happened. So with much reluctance, Johan and Marcella left the label. And they’re launching a brand-new label for fall 2010 called Paris68. It offers made-to-measure tailoring, high-end denim, and leather jackets for men, and “crafty” handmade knits, dresses, and leather jackets for ladies. It almost sounds like a high-end Rast. But it’s good to hear that although they moved from New York to L.A. to be closer to Justin (no small sacrifice, that), William Rast is evidently not the be-all, end-all of their careers. If only we could say as much for our hearts.
