Fashion PR giant The Independents Group has acquired Atelier Athem, a Paris-based firm that focusses on set design for brands’ experiences and stores, including lighting, projections, scenery, interactive elements and sound. It has worked with brands including Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and Sephora on brick-and-mortar installations and events.

It also uses those projects to provide financing of historic buildings restorations. Through its work on the latter, it has helped provide funds for the restoration of several famed buildings in Paris, including the Palais Garnier, Louvre Museum, Musée d’Orsay and the Hôtel de la Marine.

“Atelier Athem brings a new creative activity to our entrepreneurial community. We deeply believe in the relevance of their unique and innovative business model, supporting cultural institutions and spreading art to the public. It opens a whole new value proposition for our clients, one we intend to develop globally” Isabelle Chouvet, president of The Independents, said in a statement.

The Independents was founded in 2017 after a merger between PR firm Karla Otto and Asia-based experiential marketing and events agency K2. In July 2023, The Independents announced that it had raised $400 million with ambitions to double in size by 2025. In particular, it has focussed on building up its muscle in the events and experiential space, acquiring Bureau Betak, the global events production agency, in September 2021, Prodject, the New York-based agency behind the Met Gala in March 2023 and production agencies Atelier Lum and INCA Productions in December 2023.

The Independents now has ten agencies under its umbrella.

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