Luella Bartley, MBE and Katie Hillier have been appointed directors at Marc by Marc Jacobs, in a landmark move by the diffusion brand.

Luella will take on the role of design director and Katie has been named creative director, marking the first time anyone but Marc Jacobs himself has had creative control over the womenswear label in its 13-year history.

Both designers are household names within the fashion industry. The appointment heralds a comeback for Luella, who has been out of the limelight for the past four years.

A former fashion editor at British Vogue, she is best known for her label "Luella" launched in 1999. The brand showcased her distinctive, punk-inspired style - a look that was quickly snapped up by the likes of Mulberry and New Look (Luella was one of the first designers to launch a capsule collection for the store in 2002).

The Luella bag she designed for the Mulberry collaboration was an instant bestseller, and she was widely credited with reviving Mulberry's image back at the start of this decade.

Katie unveiled her luxury Hillier London jewellery line in 2010 and has worked on a freelance bassis with Luella and Marc for many years.

"I'm very excited to have Katie here in her new role. Her creativity and energy inspires me and everybody she works with," Marc told fashion website WWD.

"She is a great leader. She is a team player and a great friend to Robert (Duffy, CEO of Marc Jacobs) and me."

Marc will still be involved in the decision-making process at Marc by Marc Jacobs, but it is thought he will take a step back to focus on his other commitments, including Louis Vuitton.

Both Katie and Luella will work from London, where they live.

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