>> Cacharel Taps Cedric Charlier of Lanvin to Replace Eley Kishimoto — Spring 2010 Paris Fashion Week is shaping up to be full of new blood, between Phoebe Philo at Celine, Peter Copping at Nina Ricci, Lindsay Lohan and Estrella Archs at Ungaro, and now Cedric Charlier, who has been appointed as creative director at Cacharel. Charlier, who has spent the last six years working under Alber Elbaz, presents his first collection for the brand Oct. 3. [Telegraph UK]

>> Mounir Moufarrige, who famously replaced Karl Lagerfeld with 25-year-old Stella McCartney at Chloe in 1997, is at it again: He's signed an almost-unknown chief designer, Estrella Archs (left), and Lindsay Lohan as an "artistic adviser" to replace Esteban Cortazar at Emanuel Ungaro, in hopes that they will bring attention — good, bad, or otherwise — back to the brand.  Their first collection — for Spring 2010 — is expected to be shown on the runway in Paris, and Archs and Lohan will likely come out together for the bow at the end.

Ungaro CEO Moufarrige decided to forego a proven, well-known designer, he told WWD, because the days of "designers in their ivory towers" are over.  He thinks that Lohan will lend a vital "consumer" voice: "Designer-led fashion is likely not to be enough [for Ungaro]. It’s a slow process going the traditional route [because designers need a couple of years to get into the house's skin]. Not enough just doesn’t get you anywhere.” And he maintains that "it's not an act of desperation to get a real diva [like Lohan] involved. I like controversy." 

Lohan now has a multiyear contract with the brand »

>> Tommy Hilfiger, who has been searching for a creative director as far back as 2007, may have his eye on Peter Som.  Although neither Som nor Hilfiger would comment, WWD cites sources saying that they have been in discussions about Som joining Hilfiger as a creative consultant — a position which could ultimately lead to a wider role, perhaps as that creative director Tommy was looking for.  Fashion Week Daily reports that insiders expect an announcement of the partnership after the end of New York Fashion Week on Sept. 17.

Speaking of creative consultants becoming creative directors, Swaim Hutson, who was a consultant on Generra's Spring 2010 collection, has been appointed as the contemporary brand's creative director: "Generra has a chance and a voice to be more directional within the designer contemporary market, and this is exactly what I hope to bring to the brand.” Turns out Swaim — who is not showing the Hutson line he designs with wife Christina Hutson during New York Fashion Week this season — will have his work on a New York catwalk, after all: Generra is presenting its Spring 2010 collection on Sept. 11.

>> 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.

>> Ungaro has had a checkered past as far as designer retention goes, and it sounds like the tradition is carrying on.  Just a few days after rumors hit that creative director Esteban Cortazar was threatening to leave the company, several sources confirm to WWD that the house and designer have reached an impasse over marketing and advertising strategy and plan to part ways.

CEO Mounir Moufarrige is keen to restart the label's provocative ad campaigns, which haven't been done for Ungaro womenswear for years, and is apparently pushing for a celebrity to "help wake up the house," WWD reports.  Ungaro has been talking with six or so candidates, including Lindsay Lohan — hence Tuesday's rumors that she was being considered as a creative consultant to the house.  However, those specific rumors have been disbanded: none of the celebrity candidates would have anything to do with design.

No potential successors to Cortazar have been mentioned, but Moufarrige is known for making unexpected choices; he replaced Karl Lagerfeld with Stella McCartney at Chloe in 1997, when she was 25.

>> MODA OPERANDI —When IT Holding filed for the Italian equivalent of bankruptcy in late February, casualties were to be expected among its fashion brands Malo and Gianfranco Ferre, not to mention its licenses.  Malo was shown in Milan as a small presentation soon after, instead of a full runway show in New York like seasons past — and the clothes couldn't hold a candle to the stunning collection designer Alessandro Dell'Acqua did for Spring 2009 back in September.  Now, the casualty is pretty clear — Dell'Acqua is leaving the brand after less than a year, and going forward, the line will be designed by a team, with a focus on its core knitwear identity. [WWD]

>> All signs pointed to Olivier Theyskens's imminent exit from Nina Ricci, and now it's official: house and designer released a joint statement revealing that Olivier is gone as of March 10, despite the fact that his contract goes through October.

Neither Theyskens or Ricci would comment beyond the statement, in which the house indicated it “wishes to re-orientate its development strategy for the years to come.  Consequently, Nina Ricci and its artistic director Olivier Theyksens have decided by mutual agreement to cease their collaboration.”  All signs point to Peter Copping, top design deputy at Louis Vuitton, being tasked with the reorientation as Olivier's replacement, but no mention of him was made in the statement, and thus no word on when he will be transitioning over for his first Ricci collection.

So what's next for Olivier? »

>> The Olivier Theyskens-Nina Ricci saga continues: Sources are saying that Peter Copping, who met with Ricci owners two weeks ago, is in place to succeed as designer at Nina Ricci.  No details could be determined on when the switchover would occur — Olivier is contracted until October, which means he could show up to two more collections for the label, but rumors of clashes between the designer and management also imply that he might leave sooner.

The main point of disagreement is understand to be management's expected commerciality of Olivier's designs — apparently his Spring 2009 collection didn't sell well, but Olivier still seems blase about paying attention the bottom line.  The designer has a history of designing expensive pieces that, while eliciting editorial acclaim, don't always sell well — this was the case at Rochas before Nina Ricci.

Copping, on the other hand, hails from Louis Vuitton, where if nothing else, he's guaranteed a pedigree in how to make money with fashion — Louis Vuitton is not exactly known for losing money as both Ricci and Rochas did with Olivier at the helm.  Copping sounds exactly like what the brass at Nina Ricci would be looking for right about now — plus, he's Marc Jacobs's right-hand man, and has the Central Saint Martins degree.

In the midst of all this mess, Olivier still appears blase — he was spotted out partying Monday night, a big smile plastered across his face.  Maybe he knows something we don't know?
*image: source

>> If the couture show rumor mill is to be believed, Olivier Theyskens has officially left Nina Ricci.  Rumors of clashes between the designer and management have been around for over a month — management wanted to go more commercial, while Olivier is known for sticking to expensive craftmanship and creative vision over all else — part of the reason he was let go at Rochas in 2006.

Olivier's contract at Nina Ricci is up in October, and just two weeks ago, both brand and designer reiterated their commitment to each other through the term of the contract.  Apparently, Nina Ricci's Spring 2009 collection is failing to sell, however, and recently, Olivier still didn't sound ready to worry about the bottom line:

“When the economy changes, it’s not like you want to start eating bad-tasting chocolate.  You have to stay true to what you’re doing, and the house of Nina is about luxury.  I think it’s important to study the market and to feel you are right with it.  But if I felt we had to start doing simple clothes, I’d be doing them.”

There's no official confirmation yet about the departure, but this could explain why Ricci owners Puig were meeting with Peter Copping, Marc Jacob's right-hand man at Louis Vuitton, two weeks ago.
*image: source

>> MODA OPERANDI —One year after taking over at Cacharel, Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto, or Eley Kishimoto, are on their way out — Spring 2009 was their last collection.  Both parties labeled the split as amicable, but the designers noted that there was "a conflict over creative vision" and differences about "where the line should be going."  No surprise here — it can't be easy to design under the label's CEO Jean Bousquet, who founded and used to design the label himself.  [WWD]

*image: source