>> 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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>> Last night, Bravo aired a preview for The Rachel Zoe Project, and it turns out to be pretty "bananas amazing" — her words, not mine — in a guilty pleasure kind of way. The 21-minute segment features cameo appearances by Zac Posen, Donna Karan, Peter Som, Marc Jacobs, and Oscar de la Renta, not to mention the overload of dresses, shoes, bags, and jewelry panned and pawed across. 

I could do without all the drama between Rachel's two assistants, Taylor and Brad, but the show definitely catches some moments that give you a look at the unstyled stylist: Rachel doing so much credit card damage on designer vintage, AmEx calls with a fraud alert; Rachel dealing with her studio flooding and waterlogging the bottoms of all the one-of-a-kind designer dresses she stocks; Rachel breaking down and crying while her makeup is being done. But she seems to think it's worth it: "At the end of the day, it's a pretty glamorous, fabulous life."  The first full episode airs September 8.
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Full video preview after the cut. >>

>> The Peter Som-Bill Blass situation is rather turning into a Nina Garcia and Elle-like saga. The latest? Despite Peter submitting his resignation last week, he is now back in talks with Blass owners NexCen about the Spring 2009 collection, thanks to the orchestrative abilities of Anna Wintour.

She coaxed him back on board, "for the sake of the label," which is currently on the selling block, and is much more valuable with Peter Som at the company. A new retention deal was reportedly struck last Thursday; but Som can get out of his contract at any time.

The basis for all the unrest seems to be Nexcen's financial constraints: The company can't support what Som envisioned for Blass. However, the prospect of a Spring 2009 collection shown to retailers only is being tossed around, and if Blass is bought by a company that can lend better financial support, Som is said to be willing to stay.
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>> It's that time again. Right after news of upset at Halston come more shakeups.

Peter Som has submitted his resignation at Bill Blass because he "was unhappy with the control Blass' management tried to execute over his creative aesthetic" and has "been fighting with them since he got there." Emilio Pucci, meanwhile, is rumored to have approached a few design assistants about succeeding Matthew Williamson as creative director.

Peter Som spent one year at Blass garnering positive reviews, and is said to be driven to resignation by Bill Blass’ decision to scrap the September fashion show due to financial woes, while Matthew Williamson has spent three years at Pucci, and is looking to focus more on growing his namesake brand.

UPDATE: According to FWD, Peter Som is contractually obliged to present a Spring 2009 collection for Bill Blass during fashion week, but he is "working furiously" to find a way out of the contract.
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»Thierry Mugler is being resurrected for couture week [FabSugar]

»Newly-minted Vogue intern Sean Avery is rumored to be starting a fashion company . . . already [FWD]

»Peter Som reveals all about what the CFDA does (ok, not really, but he is facetious about it) [The Cut]

»Vintage Oscar de la Renta pictures, right this way [Oscar de la Renta]

»The chicken at Jean Paul Gaultier's perfume launch last night was dressed in his trademark sailor stripes [Cafe Mode]

»Vivienne Westwood guest edited the July 2008 issue of Dazed & Confused [Nicola Formichetti]

»Yohji Yamamoto's daughter Limi was "uncontrollable" growing up [Prestige HK]

»Donna Karan is obsessed with Madonna [Prestige HK]

»Peeks at the Erin Fetherston, Celine, Anna Sui, Thakoon, and Costume National Resort 2009 collections [WWD, Style.com, Style.com, WWD, Style.com]

»The original supers are rumored to appear in a Fall issue of Vogue Italia [The Cut]

»Hilarious: There's a vintage studded belt that Sarah Jessica Parker wears in numerous scenes in the Sex and the City movie — she apparently loved it so much, she named it Roger, and would always say to Patricia Field, "Pat, get me Roger!" [Nylon]

»Opening Ceremony is going e-commerce by the end of the summer [Coutorture]

»Anna Wintour is attending her first Milan Men's Fashion Week to help celebrate Vogue Italia's 40th anniversary [FWD]

»Naomi Campbell verbally attacked a stylist over legal use of a photograph and elbowed people out of the way at the Murakami gala at MOCA in LA late last year [La Vie en Rose]

»Style.com's Candy Pratts Price wanted to make sure we knew the difference between Yohji pants and yoga pants, and that she's sitting at Anna Wintour's table for the CFDA Awards Monday night.  Also, her full name is Candida Rosa Theresa Pratts Price. [Chic Report]

»Michael Kors' beach home was broken into by a trio of teens [NYP]

»A peek at the Bottega Veneta, Peter Som, and Reyes Resort 2009 collections [WWD, Style.com, WWD]