Rochas is Making a Fashion Comeback

[Spike413]

^ I think what educo was saying is that the samples that were made in the Rochas atelier by the highly trained seamstresses were so intricate or rarefied in their execution that they couldn't reproduce them, either as well or at all, when it came time to start manufacturing the clothes for retail.

And this does sound a bit iffy. I'm pretty sure that licenscing isn't the norm with high end ready-to-wear, at least not for clothes (sunglasses, jeans lines, Pierre Cardin polo shirts, etc. are licensce territory).

 

[Mutterlein]

And this does sound a bit iffy. I'm pretty sure that licenscing isn't the norm with high end ready-to-wear, at least not for clothes (sunglasses, jeans lines, Pierre Cardin polo shirts, etc. are licensce territory).

you'd be surprised, it's slowly becoming more and more common

 

[Dkammern]

^ my guess is we are not used to associate licensing with high end rtw because normally a fashion label gives license to produce let's say sunglasses, to another company that knows how to do that. that has the skills and infrastructure necessary.
The case of Rochas though is quite peculiar. As it is owned by Procter and Gamble, it's probably the only fashion label that doesnt know how to do... garments?
licensing in a way seems like a strategy so as not to lose the industrial property that represents the name, but at the same time make some more profit out of it, other than the fragances.
it could also be that they are not allowed to fully sell the company, maybe they just dont wanna stand the risk of going into a whole new industry on their own in the present economic scenario
when i say that they are not allowed i am thinking some sort of contractual clause in the merging (or absorption) with the wella group that doesnt allow them to separate Rochas from the rest, no?

 

[tricotineacetat]

Rochas had been slumbering for so long that Olivier made it 'his' in the time he spent designing for the house... There was really nothing to work from, no atelier, no archive, no one to tell about the heritage of the name - much similar as with Vionnet, which is again slumbering after an insuccessful relaunch, but different also in that he managed to define a very recognizable and acclaimed vision of a Rochas look, instead of what happened at Vionnet where they couldn't keep either Audibet or Kokosalaki.

With these old houses it's a difficult mission to re-establish an identity unless it is being done with proper resources - especially since the names and associations with couture excellence are there. it's difficult to deliver authenticy if the actual clothes are being made in association with an Italian mid-scale designer goods factory and not by specialist suppliers. It's certain that whoever is getting the job will have to prove himself against Olivier's bar, which is set incredibly high and far out of reach for anyone free on the market.

 

[reckoner]

Marco Zanini in Play for Rochas

The brand to relaunch ready-to-wear, former Halston designer in talks to design
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
(NEW YORK) Olivier Theyskens may have moved on to Nina Ricci, but it appears that Procter & Gamble brass are feeling nostalgic for a bit of Rochas ready-to-wear. The company has announced that it will grant a licensing agreement to Italian manufacturer Gibo Co. SpA. The agreement, according to the Wall Street Journal, will cover ready-to-wear apparel under the Rochas brand. The first collection will be presented in March 2009.
The Daily has learned exclusively that Marco Zanini, most recently of Halston, is in talks to design the collection. After a long tenure as Donatella Versace's deputy women's wear designer, Zanini was named designer at Halston in January 2007, when the brand relaunched. He left the company in July. Emails to Gibo representatives were not returned by press time.

Fashionweekdaily.com

 

[Caffeine]

bad timing......

 

[Spike413]

Well that's a straight out of left field choice.

 

[Salvatore]

Random!

 

[Mutterlein]

I almost feel like P&G are only starting up the RTW so that it creates a more complete brand identity, something needed to sell more perfume. Licensing it out is the perfect way to keep costs and risk down. So many high end labels now are licensing out lines they view as non-essential.

If I were Gibo I'd opt for a young unknown talent with a clear vision rather than someone who has any baggage.

 

[helmut.newton]

My immediate thought was for Alessandra to design for Rochas. But my dream designers would be the the Mullevy sisters of Rodarte.

I think they could really *do* something with Rochas that is independent of Theyskens aesthetic but still airy and feminine.

 

[Meg]

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.

 

[ponytrot]

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]

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!

 

[eternitygoddess]

^great choice.

 

[tricotineacetat]

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.

 

[giancinephile]

If all else fails, they will always go back to their fragrances!

(but let's hope not as a new Rochas is really very interesting).

 

[ponytrot]

wise thoughts trincotineacetat,

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?

 

[vetements]

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.

 

[ParisParis]

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.

 

[educo]

I'm sorry, but if this guy was unable to revive Halston, how could he revive Rochas especially after following Theyskens????