Same Brand, New Director

Big fashion houses that have a legacy and history in the industry, often stand alone by the recognition among people which buy their perfumes or the cheap ties and socks that are made under the name's license. They also most of the time are owned by a bigger conglomerate, something very similar to like GE and NBC in 30 Rock. Well not that similar.

Every now and then this labels decide to keep up making luxury clothing, the thing that made them famous in the first place, and the bussinessmen behind them hire a creative director. Thats how new direction for a brand can make it remarkable again.

Rochas had a nice time with Olivier Theyskens during the mid 2000's and then in 2007 he was fired. The label remained closed for three years and now we have Marco Zanini doing a 60's inspired collection (the third one) for Fall, which actually is his strongest so far, and has lead the house into a more recognizable place.

Cacharel is one of those french traditional houses that has seen come and go a bunch of designers, that for some strange reason never succed. For the past two seasons Cédric Charlier has been doing changes and not rely on the name alone to sell, but offer instead, a range of clothes aimed to a younger audience without being über sexy like Balmain and Hervé Léger but instead comfortable and quirky. Cédric worked at Celine and Lanvin before getting this job.

If you follow the blog, you might already know this but I love the way that Peter Dundas has designed for Emilio Pucci. It's young, fun, flirty, and just the right amount of sluttyness to not feel vulgar.He has also just made three Ready-to-wear collections, but his distinctive point of view has make it perhaps one of the coolest new houses, but doesn't feel completely opposite whith what the original Emilio Pucci standed for.

How amazing can you be to get the luxury of leaving the brand you used to design for and then came back (to a different one) and achieve to create the next big thing, again? Phoebe Philo for Celine has just done two Ready- to-wear collections and is the most influential house right now. Celine after Michael Kors saw many different designers come and go, and none was that important.

The last is a wound that still fresh. Nina Ricci's new leading man Peter Copping replaced Olivier Theyskens, who left with a bang. I need to see more of the new guy to see if he's a worthy competitor. Let's hope that the men in suits who run the bussiness leave designers long enough to develope their own identity for whatever house they are in and get comfortable with what their working. Most of the time it's such a fast industry that you are left wishing have seen more of some designer's work.

Photos: FW2010 from style.com