>> Confirming rumors, Marco Zanini has been named the man for the newly-resurrected house of Rochas. His first collection will show next March in Paris for the Fall 2009 season, with obvious hopes that he will last longer and achieve better critical reception than he did during his two-season stint at Halston, which he left in July.

Zanini put in nine years at Versace before he was tapped to rejevunate Halston in July 2007, making this new appointment his second brand restart in as many years.  Judging by the Versace education and the sleek, simplified look Zanini sent down the runway at Halston, the new Rochas may be quite different than Olivier Theysken's ethereal vision at Rochas when the brand was shuttered back in 2006.  But one thing's for sure — Zanini's Halston designs did well at retail, so there's hope that he can keep Rochas afloat.
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>> Despite the emergency meetings held during London Fashion Week to hash out the issue, it sounds like neither Milan or New York officials would budge on their February 2009 Fashion Week dates.

Since London was left with only four days in February between the time Fall 2009 New York Fashion Week ends and Milan Fashion Week begins, the British Fashion Council has decided that one day of London Fashion Week — Feb. 20 — will overlap with New York Fashion Week.  According to Hilary Riva, chief executive of the BFC, the decision was made because "the majority of designers showing at London Fashion Week" agreed with the measures being taken.

So much for the fashion cities working together . . .
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>> Anna Wintour's words may have mended things for a few months, but ultimately, Peter Som has still decided to part ways with Bill Blass.

Som left the brand after his contract expired a week and a half ago to focus on his own label, and Prabal Gurung, longtime second-ranking design director at Bill Blass, will be working with the existing team to produce the Fall 2009 Blass collection.

As previously reported, Som was unhappy with NexCen, the owners of Bill Blass, because he felt they couldn't financially support his creative vision; The Spring 2009 show was scrapped in favor of a retailer presentation, fabric vendors and embroiderers weren't being paid in a timely manner, and according to an industry source, NexCen "knew very little about how to run a luxury brand, much less rebrand one."

NexCen is still trying to sell Blass, a process that is taking longer than expected — just one more reason Som left.  The delay in sale also caused some retailers to pass on the Spring 2009 Blass collection, due to all the uncertainty.  For a brand that could use the money, that can't be good.
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>> INSIDER WIRE —Poor economic times seem to signal the perfect time to bring back a fashion label — Cerruti will be joining Rochas in its comeback next March.  The Italian label, whose women's wear line has been dormant since 2004 after several attempts at rejuvenation, will be presenting a Fall 2009 collection under the artistic direction of Jean-Paul Knott. [WWD]

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>> Two years after Procter & Gamble shuttered the ready-to-wear portion of Rochas, leaving Olivier Theyskens temporarily without a job, they're ready to open back up for business.

The company has signed a licensing agreement with Italy's Gibo SpA — owned by Japanese apparel maker Onward Holdings Co., which has also produced clothes for Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors — to produce Rochas ready-to-wear once again, with the first collection debuting in March 2009.

There is no designer attached yet — at least not publicly, but one has to wonder: A new opportunity for Alessandra Facchinetti? And why would they resurrect the brand now, in this economic climate, when it was shut the first time around because it was losing too much money?  Not that it's not exciting to see it back . . .
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