>> First Ann-Sofie Back signs on as head designer to help Cheap Monday branch out from its denim roots, and now Sophia Kokosalaki is joining Diesel Black Gold in a lead design role: is this a trend coming on, name designers helping to restructure denim brands?

Black Gold is Diesel's high-end contemporary line, and Kokosalaki is being brought in to overhaul the brand — which is not showing a Spring 2010 collection at New York Fashion Week this September as it typically would — starting with the relaunched Fall 2010 collection next February.  Kokosalaki nearly always wears black and denim herself, and Diesel chairman Renzo Rosso has full faith in her "incredible" talent and "skill in dealing with denim and contemporary casual, the core of Diesel Black Gold."  The position is quite a change from her stint as creative director of French house Vionnet.

Rosso bought a majority stake in Kokosalaki's namesake line last year, and her new position at Diesel has allowed her to acquire her label back from Rosso for an undisclosed sum.  She plans to continue to develop the line independently.