Fashion communications giant The Independents — which owns Karla Otto and Bureau Betak, and plans to add to its existing portfolio of 17 specialist firms — is launching an incubator conceived to “identify, support and accelerate the next wave of talent, entrepreneurs and creative agencies,” and bring fresh perspectives to the group’s clients.

Paris-based spatial and lighting design firm Matière Noire — which worked on today’s Courrèges show and has partnered with Hermès and James Turrell — is the first to join the program, dubbed L’Incubateur.

“More than just financial support, it is a great opportunity for the agency teams and the selected projects to interact, spark ideas and evolve in ways that we can’t even predict,” said Alexandre de Betak, founder of Bureau Betak and creative chairman of The Independents.

Learn more:

Lucien Pagès Joins The Independents

The agency founded by Paris public relations star Lucien Pagès is being acquired by the fashion communications giant that owns Karla Otto, Bureau Betak and more.