Nilsson Leaves Nina Ricci, headed to Scherrer

[taz]

today from vogue :

NILSSON LEAVES NINA RICCI

THERE's another fashion job up for grabs. With everybody wondering whether Chloe is ever going to announce a new star at the reins and also where Olivier Theyskens will end up now that Rochas is closed, Lars Nilsson has gone and left Nina Ricci. Citing "personal reasons", the Swedish-born designer apparently just wanted to free up some time. "It's been a really great experience," he says of the job he held for three years since October 2003, following stints at Bill Blass, Christian Dior and Christian Lacroix. "But I decided to pursue other things." Hailing Nilsson a "great match" for Ricci, Mario Grauso, president of its parent company Puig Fashion Group – which also owns Carolina Herrera and Paco Rabanne - admitted it would miss him. "We're sad to lose him. He's a very talented young man and we really enjoyed working with him. We really wish him well." So what happens next? Theyskens, who has been jobless since the shock closure of Rochas last month, is odds-on favourite to take up Nilsson's role - not least because Christophe Hebre joined as general manager of Ricci from Rochas last October. Grauso was also spotted in the second row of Theyskens' final show for Rochas in March, explaining: "Olivier's a friend. He asked me to come to his show. I admire his work." According to WWD the departure of Nilsson, who returned to Sweden just last week to collect the Golden Button award for fashion, means that Nina Ricci will not put on a show at Paris Fashion Week in October - though the design team he leaves behind will present a spring/summer 2007 collection to buyers and press. (August 23 2006, AM)

Dolly Jones

 

[Scott]

Wow,very active months for the big houses. Well,now that Lars has that experience perhaps he will start his own collection.

And I hope the Olivier aspect is just rumour because I really hope he gets his signature going again.

 

[Diorling]

I loved Nilsson at Ricci, he was so perfect, IMO. The only thing is that he got little-to-no recognition at Ricci.

Oh well, can't wait to see his own line or him at another house.

 

[jssy4eva]

that's so weird, cause yesterday, i was watching fashion television (or one of those shows)and they were talking about how he got fired from Bill Blass a few years ago, and i was surprised because i never knew he worked there.....and now this!

I'm sad that he's leaving cause i really loved his clothes, especialy the last collection. Oh well, what can you do!

 

[JuiceMajor]

Finally someone post the news....wassup with the fashion universe?? One by one the designer is leaving. Did someone put a spell on all this that had happen!!

​

 

[kimair]

more on this from wwd...

Lars Nilsson is leaving Nina Ricci, WWD has learned.

The Swedish-born designer, who showed his first collection for the French house in October 2003, said Tuesday he resigned for "personal reasons" and hinted he has a new project in the works in the U.S.

"It's been a really great experience," he said, stressing he left on good terms with Ricci management. "But I decided to pursue other things."

Nilsson's departure is bound to fuel speculation the design reins could be picked up by Olivier Theyskens, who is out of a job following last month's decision by Procter & Gamble to shutter the Rochas fashion house.

Ricci's general manager, Christophe Hebre, joined the firm in October from Rochas, where he had been instrumental in recruiting Theyskens. Also, eyebrows were raised in March when Mario Grauso, president of the Puig Fashion Group, which includes Carolina Herrera and Paco Rabanne, was spotted in the second row at the Rochas show. At the time, Grauso demurred: "Olivier's a friend. He asked me to come to his show. I admire his work."

On Tuesday, Grauso declined to comment on the speculation.

Instead, he lauded Nilsson as a "great match" for Ricci and credited him with helping to define the brand's ultrafeminine image with his delicate, airy dresses and Franco-preppy sportswear.

"We're sad to lose him. He's a very talented young man and we really enjoyed working with him," said Grauso. "We really wish him well."

Nilsson's departure means Ricci will not stage a fashion show come Paris Fashion Week in October, Grauso confirmed. However, a spring collection will be presented to buyers and press, done by the team Nilsson leaves behind, which includes studio director Vanessa Bellanger, an alumna of Polo Ralph Lauren and John Galliano.

Grauso said the company ultimately plans to name a new designer, but "we're going to let the team do this season and see how it goes."

While Nilsson's collection sometimes garnered mixed reviews, Ricci sales have been growing "rapidly" under his design tenure, Grauso said. Puig fragrance executives recently lauded Ricci's fashion momentum as it launched Nina, a scent in an apple-shaped flacon meant to appeal to a younger demographic.

 

[Caffeine]

Finally someone post the news....wassup with the fashion universe?? One by one the designer is leaving. Did someone put a spell on all this that had happen!!​

​

I think that part of the reason is being the tougher business environment. competition is fierce and that makes it easier for management and the designing team part ways.
I really liked the Nina Ricci shows recently, especially the spring 06. sigh.

 

[liberty33r1b]

damn, i loved his work at nina ricci, i really did.....

 

[Elli]

I can only agree with you all, I thought Nilsson was great at Nina Ricci and am looking forward to seeing what he will do next.

 

[LoveMyBoots]

Some of his stuff for Nina Ricci is pretty cute, but that's really all they are IMO. His fall collection wasn't much to speak of.

 

[taz]

what i am really sad for, is his work didn't catch enough attention from media... he wasn't in the spot ..although his work was so thoughtfull & respects Nina Ricci's culture

 

[ChrissyM]

i really really liked what he has been doing at nina ricci these last few seasons

i'm just gonna start hoping that he moves on to do even bigger and better things

so many things have been getting stirred up of late in the fashion industry

 

[clay]

Lars is a great designer, I worked at Bill Blass while he was there and they really treated him terribly. They treated me even worse though.The thing is Nobody paid attention to Bill Blass untill he got there, and nobody paid attention to it after he left. I think he did great work at NR. I'm sure NR wants him to stay. He will do well anywhere he lands. He makes money for his employers always, maybe quietly but he makes money for them and raises their profile.

 

[KhaoticKharma]

Paris fashion week, usually the biggest and baddest of them all, is gonna suffer this go round

 

[make_me_whole]

it's pretty sad about that.nilsson was awesome for nina ricci!he's so talented.but it's cool if theyskens will do nina ricci.

 

[kimair]

nilsson is headed to jean-louis scherrer...
from wwd...

Jean-Louis Scherrer designer Stephane Rolland is starting his own line, and the French couture house is said to have already lined up a familiar fashion face: Lars Nilsson.

WWD has learned that Nilsson, who left Nina Ricci in August, is joining the venerable label to design its ready-to-wear. According to sources, Rolland will continue to head the house's haute couture collection.

Over the past few seasons, Rolland, who has been with the house since 1998, has been attempting to update the somewhat dusty fashion label and create a language for its rtw. Scherrer stopped having a runway show for its couture in January (although it continued to sell to private clients) as part of an effort to redefine its global strategy, but staged its first rtw show in several seasons during Paris Fashion Week last March.

After Nilsson left Nina Ricci, where he was replaced by Olivier Theyskens, it had been widely expected the Swedish designer would return Stateside. Nilsson moved to New York in 1999 to work as women's design director at Ralph Lauren before designing Bill Blass for two years.

Nilsson's exact title at Scherrer could not be learned at press time, but his role is likely to resemble one once held by Ritu Beri, who became the house's rtw designer in 2002 but left within a year to do her own couture collection.

 

[zamb]

cool, it will be interesting to see what he does here.....................

 

[BaroqueRockstar]

scherrer? not a fan

but with nilsson, i probably will be!!!