The current creative director of Lacoste and the designer of his own brand announced today that he will put his eponymous clothing line on hold for an undetermined period of time.

Felipe Oliveira Baptista, one of the most celebrated Portuguese designers, living in Paris where he created his brand in 2003, made the headlines twice today. After the announcement that the exhibition on his eponymous clothing line at MUDE (the Lisbon Museum of Fashion and design), due to end in mid-February, would be extended to March 30, a surprise announcement was made this evening on the designer’s Facebook page.  “Severina and I decided to take time off to think about the future of our collaboration and brand and re-evaluate its structure and existence”, reads the announcement. In the same, message Felipe says both will likely venture in another design or creative field, thanking everyone for the fantastic 10 years and ending with the sentence “This is the end of a page, not the end of the book”.

 Felipe Oliveira Baptista has made a name for himself ever since he won the grand prix at the Hyères festival in 2002 and has become one of the most cherished designers particularly in Paris where his shows, supported by Portugal Fashion, gathered good reviews by influential journalists covering his shows and those from the likes of Dries van Noten, Jean Paul Gaultier and the lot. Graduated from Kingston University in London where he joined a competition held by Max Mara, being invited to work for the brand after his course, Felipe has retained the wild spirit of this city that breathes music from every pore, bringing these influences to his designs, blending it with French elegance and hints of regional influences including from his hometown, the Azores islands. After Max Mara, Lacoste took a closer look at his work, inviting him as creative director of this brand. New York was the stage for yet another collection by this French brand whose looks shown on the catwalk stay true to the brand but with the a touch Felipe Oliveira Baptista who will continue working for Lacoste.