Roland Mouret quits

[xEmma2k5x]

from vogue.co.uk

ROLAND MOURET QUITS

A SHOCK statement yesterday from Roland Mouret's backers, Sharai and Andre Meyers, announced that the star designer had quit the company. "It's been an incredible five years, and unfortunately, things don't always work out the way you want them to," Sharai, whose title is creative director while Andre's is chairman, told WWD. "It's a regrettable thing. It got to a stage where there was less common ground than there needed to be. I'm sure Roland will go on to do amazing work." While the name Roland Mouret will remain the property of the company, the designer himself will continue as head designer for the next six months and will present his autumn/winter 2006-7 collection in February. Plans for the company's future name have yet to be decided. The Meyers, who own 100 per cent of the equity of Roland Mouret Design Ltd, set the company up in February 2000, two years after the designer debuted at London Fashion Week. The plan was for him to receive a package of share options once it broke a profit, which is expected to happen in the current fiscal year ending in April. Meyers said that no decisions had been made about whether Mouret would be replaced. "There is a strong, talented bunch of people who are already here," she said. "And they are the way forward. Roland was a big part of the team, but he was only a part of the team." Asked about his relationship with Meyers before the spring/summer 2006 collection in September, Mouret made no secret of the fact that it was volatile. "It was like love at first sight when we met," he said. "We just clicked. Then her husband encouraged her to work with me. And we’re like husband and wife, and the company is our baby. Sometimes we think alike, other times we fight like cats and dogs. We have two distinctly different backgrounds—she’s Scottish, and quiet, and I’m French, fiery, and, well, a guy." Company sales for the year are expected to be in the region of £2.8 million, and Meyers added that sales of the spring/summer 2006 collection were already in excess of £1 million. (October 26 2005, AM)

That's such a shock

 

[i_<3_chanel]

!
sad . . . .

 

[leyla m.]

i just got these news as well!!!!
strange!!!

 

[Hanne]

Oh no...I hope this isn't the end..
I hate when designers can't keep their name but it's in the hands of a company where they are no-longer at..If the team behind RM really is that talented.. then hopefully by s/s07 we'll have two great collections to look forward to.. Here's to hoping..

 

[leyla m.]

i saw him at this showroom . he was so down to earth and keen to sell his collection to new stores. this really does come as a surprise

 

[iperlchen]

Strange, very I wouldn't like it if they'd continue his style while he's trying to do the same under another name. That's not right is it?

 

[Meg]

ACK! NO!

 

[tricotineacetat]

Just like Helmut Lang, the only difference being that Helmut was such a widely-known *name*, both as a designer and a label. Roland Mouret is not even widely known outside the fashion world... Some customers won´t even know - and probably care - that it´s no longer designed by the man himself.

 

[leyla m.]

i dont reallt agree as the customer who does buy ROLAND knows Roland.
also as a retailer who stocks him, i doubt we will stock the brand once he is gone. i will swap and stock the newly launched ROLAND MOURET once he does relaunch hismelf

 

[leyla m.]

he is a major drapist and thats what make his designs .. how will anyone else be able to do the same under his name. that will be faking it.. ahh im angry

 

[xEmma2k5x]

He's become more well-known here over the past few months because of all the celebrities who wear his dresses. There was even a feature on GMTV about the Galaxy dress.

 

[fleur137]

wow this is such a shock considering how lovely the SS06 collection was...

 

[Nader]

here's to looking even less forward to NY fashion week in the future (who knew it was even possible to care less)

 

[Lily530]

ACK! NO!

My words exactly!!!!

 

[tricotineacetat]

Leyla, maybe this is applicable for your market but I highly doubt that the average customer who buys into designer clothes these days is as informed as yours... there are simply too many names these days around, and what seems exciting for the fashion crowd (buyers, journalists, stylists, etc.) doesn´t necessarily go to the customers... still great this is not the case for your surrounding.

 

[Scott]

Let's get this straight,"backers" own nothing in a company. They're only behind a designer with financial support but they own nill in one's label. So I think they're using this term rather loosely. Otherwise,what we've all come to deem as an indie would not be,as the majority of them do have backers. He must have just allowed them to buy his label,like Gucci Group did with McQueen and Balenciaga....albeit it's much larger....it's the same premise.

But seeing it in that sense,I understand completely. A little surprising but not entirely shocking. Yes,it's disgusting that he doesn't own his name but this is precisely the ultimate horror when one thinks of selling their labels off like that.

 

[urd]

Yes,it's disgusting that he doesn't own his name but this is precisely the ultimate horror when one thinks of selling their labels off like that.

I can't understand why he sold his name!?

 

[Meg]

^
it's tough getting started in the fashion business. Sometimes you have to give up everything to just get some financial backing. I'm sure this happens all the time. And backers can own parts of a company if they are the main shareholders, which in this case, I believe they are. The article says they own 100% of the shares in the company and that Mouret was supposed to get some later this year.

 

[Mr-Dale]

What? No! Why? I always really like his collections... I think this is quite sad and to me it really comes as a surprise

 

[Scott]

^

Well,from what I've always understood,backers or bank managers who financially help designers owned nothing. Basically like getting financial aide for college or something so they have to pay so much back when their collections take off. But maybe I'm also thinking of independent resources as well. I know Chalayan,back some years ago,his backers pulled the rug from under him and was forced to search for a new one....but they didn't own anything and,of course,he kept his name going.