>> After speculation that Narciso Rodriguez and his backers Liz Claiborne were parting ways was floated around last month, they confirmed their separation in a joint statement yesterday.

For the first time, Narciso, who launched his collection in 1997 thanks to a partnership with Aeffe SpA, will be financially independent, as Liz Claiborne has allowed him to buy back their stake — for a rumored $12 million — and regain all trademarks.  This solo situation, assuming that his finances are all in order (before Claiborne invested, he was struggling to make ends meet; Donna Karan was sending rolls of fabric over), sounds ideal for Narciso — who has a notoriously difficult reputation.

The termination of his partnership with Claiborne is widely believed to be amicable, though, and Narciso is looking forward to his "independent time": "Our business is on target and we have full confidence in the future of the company.  We are also enjoying tremendous success with our fragrances and are now exploring various licensing opportunities."  Maybe his well-received Fall 2008 collection made the world of difference he needed, money-wise?
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>> INSIDER WIRE —After she enjoyed his company front row during Milan Men's Fashion Week in June, Gerard Butler is still supposedly Anna Wintour's new "obsession."  A source says she "thinks he's amazing" and "talks about him all the time."  Maybe she'll start skipping shows for Gerard Butler movie premieres like she'll do for Roger Federer matches? [Page Six]

>> We know that Katie Grand is leaving POP to start a new edgy fashion magazine for Conde Nast UK, but what's going to happen to POP after its founder leaves?  And how did this all come about in the first place?

It turns out that Conde originally tried to buy POP — "we kept hearing [the magazine's publisher Bauer] weren't very committed to POP" — but Bauer declined.  Instead, Conde Nast poached Katie, who looked at either option — moving POP or just herself to Conde — as okay: "I kind of knew that Condé Nast had put in bids for POP.  I thought, if it happens, great. If not, it would also be great to do something new . . . Maybe it's better just to do something that's completely a fresh start."

By the end of her run at Bauer — which does a lot of business with its weekly titles like Heat and Grazia — Katie was feeling out of place: "There was a definite feeling of being a square peg in a round hole.  We were acutely aware of doing something different from everyone else.  By the end, to be walking through radio advertising or whatever and be openly called 'the weirdos', it was just unpleasant."

She's still currently working on the December issue of POP — likely to be her last — and is taking her whole POP team with her to the new, untitled magazine at Conde Nast.  So what is Bauer doing with POP in the post-Katie era?  According to David Davies, managing director of Bauer's women's magazines division, this is just a regular editor turnover, and POP will continue to exist: "We'll continue in the more maverick role.  Katie has probably achieved what she's going to with the title.  POP will be very different going forward and it's very exciting for us."
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>> INSIDER WIRE —Marc Jacobs's holiday parties are famous — mostly because of Marc's outrageous pigeon, camel toe, or ketchup costumes — and he's just announced the 2008 theme: "Rock and Roll Circus," referencing the 1968 documentary The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus.  The only problem is, Diesel is throwing a big gala on Saturday with the same exact theme.  Will Marc stick to his original theme for the Dec. 10 bash?  Maybe a couple of months will help everybody forget. [WWD]

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