Alice Bouleau, partner and head of the creative practice at Sterling International, is leaving the executive search firm to launch a new talent agency dedicated to representing creative directors.

With her venture The Arrow, Bouleau plans to support creative directors, studio directors and category specialists like head designers for jewellery, shoes, bags and knitwear, helping them navigate a particularly opaque segment of fashion’s job market.

An initial cohort of clients includes Paul Andrew, Collina Strada founder Hillary Taymour, Laurie Arbellot, Louis Gabriel Nouchi, Lutz Huelle and Serge Ruffieux.

Bouleau plans to help the designers broker collaborations, find consulting opportunities and — eventually, hopefully — sign creative directorships at major houses.

Most creative talents rely heavily on headhunters to support them in their job search. But headhunters are paid by, and ultimately loyal to, the brands that mandate them. “Talents feel they have no one on their side,” Bouleau said.

Prominent creative directors like Kim Jones, Jonathan Anderson and Nigo have added new activities to their portfolio, juggling roles at top houses with creative collaborations beyond fashion such as choosing costumes for films, designing champagne bottles and cars, curating experiences for hotels and more. For the designers of small (often loss-making) brands, that sort of side-hustle can be a necessity.

Still, only a handful of designers have access to the kind of representation that can arrange these deals, getting under-the-radar support from fashion talent agencies like Art + Commerce, or signing with agencies not specialised in fashion like UTA.

“I feel there’s definitely a gap in the market, for an agency that won’t replace headhunters but work with them,” Bouleau said.