>> Olivier Theyskens Not Making Friendly; Which Up-and-Coming Designer Has a Mystery Backer? —Is Olivier Theyskens alienating colleagues?  A blind item in today's Daily indicates so: "Which now-unemployed Belgian designer refused to look his underlings and overlings in the eye? It earned him few fans on Seventh Avenue . . ."  Also of interest: "Which high-profile industry icon is believed by many to be the main investor backing one of fashion's youngest — and brightest — stars?" [FWD (hard copy)]

>> Olivier Theyskens still hasn't found a landing pad, design-wise, but in the meantime, he has a book in the pipeline.  In January, Assouline is publishing the 186-page Olivier Theyskens: The Other Side of the Picture, based on a collaboration between the designer and photographer Julien Claessens, who captured the backstage scene for 10-plus years.

Film buffs Rodarte, meanwhile, just signed with LA-based talent agency William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.  WWD suggests that "a movie of their own could be in the cards," but for now, the official line is that William Morris plans to “advise the label on opportunities in publishing and film and identify potential strategic partnerships and sponsorships.”

>> Is Renee Zellweger's Red Carpet Partnership with Carolina Herrera Over? —Last week, sources told WWD that Mario Grauso, president of Puig Fashion Group who oversees Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci, and Paco Rabanne, has submitted his resignation and will step down after New York Fashion Week.  The exit is said to be amicable, but it is speculated that he was unhappy with Olivier Theyskens's ousting at Ricci.  Now, a source tells Page Six, Grauso, who introduced Renee Zellweger, Amy Adams, and Reese Witherspoon to Carolina Herrera, may be taking his celebrity followers with him: "None of them will wear Carolina Herrera on the red carpet now that he's gone. Mario paved the way for the brand by putting Renée in Herrera for award shows and carpets. He made it youthful." [WWD, Page Six]

>> Olivier Theyskens Taking Some Time Off? —Olivier Theyskens showed up at the Calvin Klein Collection dinner in Paris last night, and it sounds like he may just be enjoying a break from designing rather than lining up his next big job. Fellow guest Joe Zee wrote of the designer: "Yes, the rumor is true! He had the night off." And Grazia's Paula Reed, who sat next to Theyskens, tweeted: "[He's] enjoying a bit of a fashion gap year. Come back soon Olivier." [Chic Report, Joe Zee Twitter, Grazia Twitter]

>> INSIDER WIRE —It sounds like Olivier Theyskens won't be heading to Schiaparelli after all: the label's owner, Diego Della Valle, now says he doesn't plan to revive the house before 2011; originally he was aiming for 2010.  It's doubtful that Theyskens would want to wait two years before his next runway show, and Della Valle verifies that no designer has been chosen to head up Schiaparelli. “This is not the right time . . . I hope that markets will have stabilized when we are ready for Schiaparelli." [WWD]

>> INSIDER WIRE —Spokespeople at Chanel and Lanvin promptly denied Friday's rumor that Karl Lagerfeld might be exiting Chanel, with Alber Elbaz taking his place and Olivier Theyskens taking over at Lanvin, but over the weekend, Style.com's Derek Blasberg, who was in Venice for the Biennale with a number of fashion insiders, tweeted: "Hold up now, y´all. Word on the street here in Venice is that maybe some of this fashion designer shuffling is true." [The Cut, Derek Blasberg Twitter]

>> While Karl Lagerfeld is preparing for the Chanel Fall 2009 couture show on July 7 — which he plans to hold at sunset in the Grand Palais — rumors are swirling about his future at the company. Although he has said in the past that he doesn't plan to retire, it's circling that he will not renew his contract at Chanel, that Alber Elbaz will take his place, and Olivier Theyskens will take Alber's place at Lanvin.

Diane Pernet says both choices "make perfect sense" to her, but why would Alber, who has brought Lanvin profit through wearable clothes, be replaced with Olivier Theyskens, who is hardly known for wearable designs?  Anna Wintour is close friends with Karl Lagerfeld — but close enough to convince him to step down so she can find placement for Olivier Theyskens?

Diane also adds that she heard that Schiaparelli, which is expected to relaunch next year at earliest, has decided to switch directions and focus on a less expensive line.

>> INSIDER WIRE —Peter Copping is busy preparing his first collection for Nina Ricci — a capsule resort collection, which is expected to be unveiled later this month — and in the meantime, the house is trying to clear out all trace of Olivier Theyskens.  On Friday, its holding a major one-off sale in Paris, with catwalk pieces and ready-to-wear spanning several seasons, as well as shoes and accessories going for as little as 40 euros ($55). [WWD]

>> Despite screening in January at the Sundance Film Festival, details on Vogue documentary The September Issue — with the exception of a short clip — have been kept largely under wraps. A group of British fashion insiders who have seen the 90-minute special are under strict embargo not to discuss it until it is screened at the Edinburgh festival on June 22, and the movie doesn't hit theaters until September 11, but Fashion Week Daily got their hands on a screener and has plenty of details on the film, which features Anna Wintour, the "pope" as Style.com's Candy Pratts Price calls her, and creative director Grace Coddington, or "without question, the greatest living stylist there is," according to fashion news and features director Sally Singer.  The highlights, as relayed by FWD:

Anna's apparently not a fan of black . . .

"I wonder if Anna would like this one?" Grace Coddington muses, flipping through pieces. "It's black," someone points out. "That's true," Grace says. "You'd get fired for that."

. . . And perhaps not Stefano Pilati, either?

We watch her drop in for walk-through with Karl Lagerfeld and Stefano Pilati, with whom she is surprisingly (not so surprisingly?) short. What, no color in this collection, Stefano? No evening?

But she pushes for more Olivier Theyskens/Nina Ricci representation in the magazine.

Mario [Testino]'s film from the cover shoots comes back, and Anna is not pleased. There aren't enough clothes, there isn't enough Nina Ricci, and where are the Colosseum shots? She looks through the cover options, and leaves a note on one, where Sienna [Miller] is flashing a grin: "like this best, but teeth."

Terrorizing assistants, angering Grace, and what's next for Bee . . . »