I think Mutterlein is right on with a unknown designer. And Gibo produces LOTS of lines, as the article mentions. It's not uncommon for lines to be produced by manufacturers, just usually they aren't in charge of design (or not always, as far as I understood). It just seems a weird set up. Why send out a Press Release saying you are going to get it licensed? Why not send out a press release announcing the re-opening of the house with a new designer and then quietly set up the thing with Gibo? That's what made me think it was going down the Perry Ellis route.
And like Mutterlein suggests, it probably is heavily tied in with creating a brand image to push perfume sales. Duh. I could have told them that.
i think it was a smart decision from P&G to close the house. some people speculated that it wasnt profitable, and it was all about theyskens work or whatever...
i know people from the finance management team in the fragances and beauty products division at P&G and i know that was not at all the case.
as it's been said, procter decided to stop producing the line because fashion was just not their thing... they know nothing about the fashion industry, and they just didnt wanna mess with it. both in respect to the house, and above all because they very rarely get into anything where they are not the leading company of the sector.
three years later seems perfect timing for the house to come back... i would say people are rather happy with theyskens work at ricci (a bit more accessible, no?), and i really think it'd be a great time for someone to start building the whole brand again.
daydreaming, alessandra is a perfect fit for the house. rochas exudes delicacy, elegance, refinement... AND it's also one of those demi-couture houses (of the likes of balmain but without the rockstar vibe, or nina ricci maybe) that produce extremely high end pieces, small volume of production, and sky-rocket prices (... whic may seem a bit contradictory but it's a key to success in times of crisis)
can't wait to hear more about this
completely agree my dear borja!!
i thought P&G were very respectful to their stakeholders- both business, and to the industry in closing Rochas. I loved Theyskens role and creations at Rochas but at the end it really didn't seem sustainable..
my hopes are:
- it won't turn out like Halston with too many cooks in the kitchen and no cohesive design.
- it won't turn out like Roland Mouret which was a real waste of talent, not turned into commercial ladies who lunch type
- and my biggest hope is that Alessandra becomes the head designer, because she would be a wonderful fit and she has a great design vision that is at once sensitive but also subtle and skilled.
Educo - I'm surprised by what you say since I'm under the impression that it's not too often that the head designer is the one sewing all the stuff together. So are you saying that Theskiens often produced the the dresses himself and the other seamstresses couldn't replicate his work?
What I was told was that we would dye things in the washer machine, and just do these random freestyling techniques that it couldn't be replicated the same way EVER, because there was no rhyme or reason to it. So, Olivier started to become a liability, even though he's amazingly talented, but very hard headed and stubborn. All he had to do was track his process so it can be replicated, but he couldn't or refused to do it.
And yes, to second Spike there were some stuff that was so unique that no production schedule could manage it because the atelier barely managed it itself!
__________________ There are no mistakes, just misunderstandings.
Designing a Gibo-owned Rochas RTW license shouldn't be any available designer's prestige, to be honest - certainly not for Alessandra Facchinetti, who would be best advised to launch her own line instead of having to trust her fate with owners that have questionable interests in developing a Rochas fashion identity. Certainly they wouldn't have tried if a licensing deal as that wouldn't have been served them on a silver plate!
The circumstances under which the house had been brought back are so different from when it was around for the first time and it doesn't communicate as a particularly stable or consistant story to build up on for the future... especially in difficult times as now, i won't believe that this could be a success story.
i agree, i'm really rooting for Alessandra to find success, and it would be a happy fairytale if she could have taken over a well respected label, but it's quite probably Rochas is not structured that way.
i wonder what Rochas will be like under this business structure?
licensing conjures images of the countless unrelated-to-the-original-designer type of merchandise, including umbrellas and bedsheets, most classic example, pierre cardin. i certainly hope not and believe it wont happen to rochas though. while it isnt the same as when it was first launched, it still has enough clout to not put it to such a level.
but i do suspect it could become another helmut lang type of house, which would of course, be a shame.
MILAN – Marco Zanini is the new creative director at Rochas, and will show his first collection for the Paris label next March in Paris for the fall/winter 2009 season.
His appointment was confirmed by Franco Penè, president of Gibo Co. SpA, which last month signed a global licensing agreement with Rochas brand owner Procter & Gamble Co. to resurrect the ready-to-wear line, which had been shuttered in 2006.
Zanini, who had been plucked from Versace to rejuvenate Halston, left that checkered house last July after two seasons and lukewarm reviews.
“We feel Zanini has the sensibility to produce a collection with a valid quality/price ratio that will have an artisanal flair,” said Penè.
Favoring craftsmanship over showmanship in terms of brand positioning, Penè said the aim is to exploit Gibo’s well-oiled production machine for apparel, knitwear and accessories and to focus on quality-driven products.
Nah .. licensing is VERY VERY tricky ... remember pre-Ford 80s Gucci with their crappy licensing ????? It may turn the brand very very cheap-o looking!
Anyhoo ... I hope they find someone fit ... in Vionnet .. there were some obvious choices and they did pay homage to the heritage ... in here its a blank slate .. oh and Rodarte girl in here would SO kick @ss!
__________________ "A glorious moment in fashion, DRESSES are BACK"-Me
From Versace to Halston to Rochas. HOW did that happen?
I feel sorry for the guy anyway, since you just KNOW he'll get absolutely smashed by the press and compared to Theyskens and how he'll never be on par with him at Rochas.
And besides the fact that they'd be perfect for the position and it would 100% solidify their place in fashion history, "Rodarte for Rochas" just rolls off the tongue so gorgeously!
__________________ "DIOR, NOT WAR!" - My motto
Last edited by dior_couture1245 : 3 Weeks Ago at 01:37 AM.
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