Y/Project founder Gilles Elalouf dies

Co-founder of fashion label Y/Project, Gilles Elalouf, has passed away at the age of 58 after a long illness, according to an Instagram post by the brand’s creative director Glenn Martens.

He passed away in Fontenay-sous-Bois near Paris on Sunday.

Elalouf founded the Y/Project label in 2010 with the late Yohan Serfaty and was president of the board of shareholders. Glenn Martens took over as creative director of Y/Project in 2013.

“Thank you Gilles, for trusting me. For creating magic together. For 10 years of the best adventure. You will be missed forever. I love you,” Martens wrote about Elalouf’s passing on the label’s Instagram.

Elalouf cut his teeth at Boston Consulting Group, before joining Publicis Groupe in 1999, where he remained for 10 years. In addition to creating Paris-based Y/Project, the entrepreneur founded Second Stage Pharma in 2010.

Since the brand’s inception more than ten years ago, Y/Project has become known for its conceptual and inventive details with playful proportions and a witty take on historical references. In 2016, the label was one of the shortlisted designers for the LVMH Prize, before winning the Andam Grand Prize in 2017. In 2019, the brand was invited as menswear guest designer in Pitti Immagine Uomo to present its AW19 menswear collection.