PARIS – With a hand in designing everything from shoes to restaurants, French creative director Olivier Leone likes to keep a finger in many pies — though he typically works behind the scenes.
With the launch of his own creative agency, Pragma, he’s ready to take on a more visible role in shaping the creative direction, visual strategy, product design and communications of brands across the fashion, design, art and hospitality sectors.
The 33-year-old, who cofounded the cult shoe brand Nodaleto with Julia Toledano in 2019, has been diversifying his ventures since taking a step back from the business in late 2023, though he remains involved as an adviser.
There are the Japanese restaurants, Onii-san and Ojii, he cofounded with entrepreneur Arthur Cohen, as well as the Hotel Hana in the French capital, on which he worked with interior designer Laura Gonzalez.
A New York City outpost for Ojii is currently in the pipeline, and Leone is helping to define the visual identity of the new Silencio nightclub under development there with legendary hotelier Ian Schrager. He’s also a creative consultant for Sceners Gallery in Paris, which offers an eclectic selection of 20th century design.
Leone sees himself as a curator, freely mixing epochs and inspirations.
“I draw heavily on the past to build the future,” he told WWD in an interview. “There’s no signature style, it’s more a way of thinking. Each project has its own language.”
The Pragma logo.
Courtesy of Pragma
He likes to describe Pragma as a practice, reflecting its multidisciplinary approach and his own dual background, with degrees in both business and art. His website features a photograph of a man in a suit, spinning inside a German wheel, while the agency’s logo bears a loose resemblance to Prada’s signature Engry font.
“My identity took time to emerge and Pragma is really the definition of that, down to the meaning of the word. According to the Ancient Greeks, pragma is the type of love that takes root gradually and lasts the longest,” he said. “It’s a place where discipline meets intuition, and where reason and aesthetics coexist.”
As an independent, he’s worked with brands including Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Christofle. With a core team of five people, Pragma will rely on a host of external collaborators in Paris and New York, where it plans to officially open an office in June.
“I put together dedicated teams that manage projects almost independently,” Leone explained. “Eventually, I would love for Pragma to become a label, where we would operate as an umbrella for other creative studios with different identities.”
In the meantime, he plans to launch a multiplatform magazine next year, in addition to producing short films.
“I want it to be a creative platform to support designers,” Leone said. “The goal of this practice is to bring everything together under one roof. Beyond clothing, fashion is ultimately a way of seeing things and capturing the spirit of the times.”
Hotel Hana’s discreet reception area.
Stephan Julliard / Courtesy Hotel Hana
