LONDON — "American Idol" founder Simon Fuller hopes he's found his next big hit in Roland Mouret.
Mouret and Fuller — who also nurtured the David and Victoria Beckham brand and propelled the Spice Girls to fame — have formed a new fashion company called RM19.
The London-based company is a 50-50 joint venture and will be a division of 19 Entertainment Ltd., the media and branded entertainment firm founded by Fuller. CKX Inc., a public company listed on Nasdaq, now owns 19 Entertainment.
Mouret and Fuller plan to open an RM19 studio south of the Thames, near London Bridge, and their first project is a clothing collection, the details of which will be revealed over the next few weeks. Mouret added he could be back "on high heels" on the runway as early as next year, and that a team of graphic designers was already working on an RM19 logo that will also bow next year.
But the partners don't want to stop with clothing. In an interview Tuesday, Mouret said RM19 would embark on a variety of fashion-related projects. However, he declined to divulge any details.
"The world is our oyster. We have no limits, and we'll be looking at fashion from a new angle," said Mouret. "The landscape of fashion has changed so much — just look at what the High Street stores are doing — so we want to bring something else to the customer. We want to offer our customers a journey, fashion for the 21st century."
Mouret said RM19 would be the umbrella brand for a variety of projects that will be distributed through different channels, which could range from the brand's retail stores to the Internet to High
Street.
"There are so many possibilities and media outlets — this is the world we're living in. For example, over the last six months, I was approached to do extremely different things: I had three different offers for book deals."
Fuller told WWD that Mouret was an "extraordinary" designer. "He has such a remarkable understanding of the contradictions of popular modern culture that I related to him instantly. We both want to innovate and challenge the norm," he said.
"To me, Roland is an artist and great talent, just like one of my multimillion-selling songwriters or recording artists or inspirational sports stars or award-winning script writers or producers. If I can inspire and facilitate Roland in the same way, there will be no limit to what he can achieve."
Fuller, whose estimated wealth is 300 million pounds, or $570 million, according to the latest Sunday Times of London's Rich List, added he was keen to break into the fashion industry.
"Fashion is the final piece of my 19 [Entertainment] jigsaw. It is the glue that brings everything together, the glamour that makes the soccer player an individual, the movie star a sex symbol and the musician a trendsetter and idol."
And Fuller said he was fully aware of the perils of the fashion industry. "I have been dealing with these extreme contradictions my whole career. Music is equally tenuous — number one in the charts one year and without a record deal the next. I know how to come back when you have taken a knock or been written off," he said.
Joan Burstein, founder and owner of the London retailer Browns, which carried Mouret's previous collections, said of the new partnership: "Wow! Simon is offering Roland creative freedom and that must be very exciting. If they can pull it off — and not have to worry about the bottom line — then I think it will be so much fun for the industry. Who knows what they'll come up with?"
Mouret said Fuller approached him not long after he quit Roland Mouret Design Ltd. last spring. A few months before, Mouret and his backers Sharai and Andre Meyers had announced they were parting ways due to differences in strategic direction.
While the split appeared to be amicable, it was clear the partners' differences were irreconcilable. The Meyers still own Mouret's name, and in April they put up for sale a 10-year license to produce merchandise under the brand. As part of that package, potential buyers would also have access to the Roland Mouret archives, patterns and samples from 2002 through fall 2006, which was the last collection designed by Mouret.
