Rochas to close

[Lena]

^ Olivier has been leading Rochas for almost three years now no?
or is it less?

 

[Scott]

^If I'm not mistaken,his debut was A/W 03. Which,imo,was probably the best collection he's done at Rochas.

 

[ultramarine]

Hum ... VERY sad news ... my brunch wont taste the same after knowing this ... (so I guess Ill have a toast and bid an adieu and bonne chance to Theyskens!)

 

[Pastry]

^ my friend promised we'd have a rochas lunch once she comes back

 

[Ameera]

We have a lot of Rochas watches being sold here. but no one buys them. people see Rochas here as a minor name.

 

[sarah13]

the ones i saw lately were very cartoonish and too animated (models with oversized heads. it's like looking at nicole richie and her sunglasses). not like what i'd have pictured lanvin to be. i just loved rochas' silence. quite a class act amidst the vulgarities in fashion these days. i'll miss it (especially oliviercry:

I remember those. They reminded me of those awful Steve Madden ads. Ugg.

 

[Ameera]

haha i remember Steve Madden's big heads! i actually liked them!

 

[BaroqueRockstar]

We have a lot of Rochas watches being sold here. but no one buys them. people see Rochas here as a minor name.

yea, and around where i live, ppl see abercrombie as more of a major brand than ysl

just curious though, how much do the watches cost? i wonder if it's the name or price that's turning people away because Rochas is painfully expensive

 

[Ameera]

hmmm.. not quite sure. I own one but it was my mom's so im not sure how much she bought it for. i think i'll check tomorrow. it's interesting to find out how much they're selling them here for.

 

[JJohnson]

yea, and around where i live, ppl see abercrombie as more of a major brand than ysl

*gag*

 

[BaroqueRockstar]

haha i remember Steve Madden's big heads! i actually liked them!

I never understood why focus on the head when it's a shoe company? but steve's were much better than lanvin's

 

[mellowdrama]

This is the end-result of rampant corporatism and demand for profit above all other values. Art, fashion, culture, pace and quality of life on all levels--rich, poor, high, low--all suffer. It's sad.

 

[kikidior]

^ it is sad but it's there, it exists. oh well, i just wish him the best. he'll pull through. =)

 

[mellowdrama]

^ it is sad but it's there, it exists. oh well, i just wish him the best. he'll pull through. =)

It didn't exist in the past. There used to be work for work's sake in all levels of society. I fear they'll be holding us all upside down, shaking nickels from our pockets soon enough. This machine can't be human, you know? I remember, vaguely, reading about some 400 year-old British firm which never turned a profit, nor operated at a loss, which was bought out by some corporation who demanded they start turning a profit---after 400 years in business! Ridiculous!

I wish I could remember the details of this story, but I'm sure it's not apocryphal. Always squeezing more out of something squeezes us all--from the highest high class to the poorest poor. It must have something to do with the mindlessness, ethics-free, mob-mentality, fueled by trend-reports, stockholders, and, well--fear and faithlessness--hate to say it. Everybody's pointing to some enemy, and it's like the old Pogo cartoon: he is us!

Couture Jubilee! My God, shall we go naked?

 

[kikidior]

^ i agree but times have changed. quite cruel it can be. personally, at least stefano pilati's still at ysl, alber elbaz's still at lanvin, karl's still at chanel, anne vlerie hash is still in operation and so on and so forth art nowadays often depend on some kind of financing, but hey, if there are artists who are willing to produce beautiful work worth time and attention- with or without backing, then i'm happy. i trust those who are still out there and i'm optimistic that there are more.

 

[mellowdrama]

^ i agree but times have changed. quite cruel it can be. personally, at least stefano pilati's still at ysl, alber elbaz's still at lanvin, karl's still at chanel, anne vlerie hash is still in operation and so on and so forth art nowadays often depend on some kind of financing, but hey, if there are artists who are willing to produce beautiful work worth time and attention- with or without backing, then i'm happy. i trust those who are still out there and i'm optimistic that there are more.

^Let's hope you're right and optimism is the way to go! I do think Theyskens will do better elsewhere, as well. It's just so easy to feel smug and think the worst won't happen to you, in the market or life in general, if you're savvy and on-the-ball. There are no guarantees!

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Let's be realistic, it's exspensive to run a fashion hous let alone build a brand. Do you think Marcel Rochas would have lasted long if he wasn't making money? Dior? Lanvin? Do you know why Balenciaga closed his house? Because he wasn't getting any clients. And do you think these designers did what they did as a labor of love? They weren't poor men, they liked to make money.

A love of craft and beauty is all well and good, but if it is sending you to ruin you have only so many options. It's sad that the situation didn't call for P&G to invest more into the label to help it grow, but then none of us know how bad things actually were. I have never been inside a Rochas showroom but I can imagine its downfall was due mainly to poor line development, bad decisions on the buyers part, and their non existent marketing.

For those that find this whole scenario startling I suggest you read "The End of Fashion" by Terri Agins.

I would actually prefer to see him go somewhere like Oscar de La Renta, because then he would at least have the support to allow his vision to translate into actual profits and not just good reviews from editors who aren't even buying the clothes themselves. And mind you Oscar was a protege of Cristobal Balenciaga, it's a great heritage to work with. The type of women Balenciaga had as clients now buy from him, Theyskens could do amazing things there.

 

[tricotineacetat]

Comparing the prices with other high-end houses such as Fendi, Balenciaga, Lanvin or, dare I say, Chanel, I have to say they were very much in par with what is already on the market. I doubt that American designers such as Proenza Schouler, Carolina Herrera or Oscar de la Renta are any less expensive than what Rochas had been asking for. You simply cannot compare Rochas to brands like Viktor & Rolf or Jil Sander, it's an entirely different positioning on the market!

In terms of marketing, it's well known that launching a campaign would meant an even bigger investment into the brand... I do ask myself if it would have been worth it, would it have helped to sell an expensive skirtsuit? an evening dress? There's always been a lot of pressure on the couture/evening gown market as well, so getting your share at the Oscars or somewhere else... it's hard to compete against those big players. Key is to have the brand represented in the important shops, where they do good selections (I dare to say mine had always been nicer than in many other shops where Rochas often looked stuffy and sugar-y).

I just don't think you can build a brand like that in short time... they would have probably needed just as much time as they had now. It's understandable though that you can only achieve this with the right financial partners that do have a mutual understanding of the fashion business.

 

[Missoni~Heiress]

 

[kimair]

from wwd...

Ever since Procter & Gamble said it was pulling the plug on the Rochas ready-to-wear collection designed by Olivier Theyskens, the fashion crowd has gone wild with rumors about the Belgian designer's next move. While some would like to see Theyskens take on the design helm at Chloé, where a successor for Phoebe Philo has still to be determined, others have been wondering if he is seeking investors to resurrect his own line. Then there are those who speculate Theyskens will cross the pond and set up shop in New York. The designer is said to have been hunting for a Manhattan apartment in the past few months, and his front-row appearance at Oscar de la Renta's resort show in June has many wondering if Theyskens may be taking a job at de la Renta. No way, de la Renta said Monday. "I haven't spoken to him personally, but from what I understand, he would like to stay in Europe," the designer said.