>> 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]

>> Milan is infamous for being one of the hardest markets to break open for models of color, and unfortunately, that still seems to be the case, based on tallying by The Cut.  The worst offenders? Burberry, Giorgio Armani, Missoni, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, who all only used one model of color, while Gianfranco Ferre, Jil Sander, and Prada didn't use any.

Meanwhile, buyers have spoken on their Milanese favorites: Jil Sander, Prada, Marni, Bottega Veneta, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Pucci, Roberto Cavalli, and Gianfranco Ferré — surprisingly, Missoni was not in the mix.

A number of critics and retailers have Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi on their lists as Milan's most promising up-and-coming talent, but their situation at Gianfranco Ferre is currently tenuous — the front row Friday included three government-appointed special administrators, a reminder that owner IT Holding faces bankruptcy proceedings, and could take Ferre, Just Cavalli, John Galliano, and Malo down with it.  Regardless, hopes are high — as Linda Fargo, fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman, put it, "Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi continue to show the promise of world-class design for the future — both in their own line and at Gianfranco Ferré. We hope the dust settles favorably on Ferre as the two designers are hitting the right notes."  

Other highlights on the to-watch list: Christopher Kane at Versus and, for next season, Vionnet, under the care of Prada alum Rodolfo Paglialunga.
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>> Peter Som has had a tough past six months, between the fallout at Bill Blass and the pull out of his eponymous lines' investor.  Two weeks ago, he wasn't even sure if he was going to be able to pull anything together for Fashion Week, but he's succeeded in producing something for Fall 2009 — a capsule collection of 16 looks, which he will be showing at private appointments.

Peter's not alone in his misfortune this season — for various other labels, big and small, Fall 2009 isn't panning out so well either.  Some, like Peter, have had to cancel their runway show in favor of showroom appointments (Sari Gueron) or lookbooks (Francis by Christian Francis Roth, who just tried to stage a comeback last season).  Some are just plain nixing their shows (Benjamin Cho, Hanii Y, Sue Stemp, Rubin Singer).

Poor newcomer Mikhael Kale had to cancel his show because his samples were damaged during shipping; he's remaking the collection for press and buyer appointments in two weeks' time.  Italian knitwear label Malo, designed by Alessandro Dell'Acqua, is totally missing in action, even though it always draws Carine Roitfeld and Franca Sozzani front row.  And Patrick Robinson has postponed Gap's presentation until April.  Here's to hoping the news only gets better from here.
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>> INSIDER WIRE —We'll be watching next Wednesday to see what Alessandro dell'Acqua has to offer in his new role at Malo, but now there's even more of a reason to pay close attention to the Spring 2009 show. The designer has tapped Edward Enninful to work his styling magic behind-the-scenes, and I, for one, can't wait to see the outcome.

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>> Ch-ch-changes are in order at Malo.  Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi left the brand in April to become creative directors at Gianfranco Ferre — Malo and Ferre are both owned by IT Holding, so it's all in the family — and now their vacancy has been filled by one Alessandro Dell'Acqua. 

Dell'Acqua's first collection for the Italian luxury knit company will be for the Spring 2009 season in September, and he will also continue to design his own eponymous collection.  Instead of showing Malo at New York Fashion Week, as Aquilano and Rimondi did, however, Dell'Acqua will present the line in Milan.

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