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What would Helene say????

sillage

Theyskens' Rochas line, which I saw when it was at Barneys was very pretty, but too "evening" for the clothes most New York women wear. The skirts were narrow, but had no slits for total mobility. Also, there weren't that many pieces - maybe 20 different things at most, and prices were stratospheric. There was a coat I admired that was $7000, that I later saw in the Barneys warehouse sale, discounted to $1,999. What a deal! It was warm, but the wooly material was covered in lace, which meant, that if you accidentally rubbed up against a brick wall, au revoir, lace.
Rochas made a mistake in not making him do more everyday, ready to wear clothes. If you're going to charge that much for clothes, the clothes must be able to take a beating. Also, the two different demographics for that price range are call girls and rich, old ladies. The clothes were too arty for both groups.

You said it all, Chenas . . . it's NOT EASY, to do a high style ready-to-wear, line. Remember, too: if it weren't for perfume and accessories, I doubt that any couture houses, would still be in business.

Yes, Armanis. That perfume they released during Theyskens' period, Poupee, is one of the most awful I've ever smelled. It smells like the hair of Barbie dolls. Plus the name, which sounds bad in English, and is a turn-off to women who consider themselves human beings, and not blow-up dolls.

We're NOT big blow-up dolls??? Drat, that Theyskens was sure cute, though, and I liked the dressy clothes .. just can't afford them and would never wear them.

Truly. Poupee was a lost cause, from the start.

Dem, dressy clothes are great to own . . . but unless you're really into nightlife in a big way, they collect a lot of dust. I have a number of tuxedo suits . . . all the accessories, too. Even, a tuxedo coat. I love all of my evening garments, but now that other priorities are consuming my life and energies . . . my satin lapelled evening coat . . . isn't getting much use.

What? WHAT? Watch me weep!!! Rochas is on top of my list of "places I want to work". It's a gawd awful shame that someone like Olivier Theyskens who does beutifully crafted, femenine clothes is always being pushed out of business while lunatics like John Galliano gets to continue to parade his same masquerade season after season....
That said, the article doesn't state if they will close, only that Procter & Gamble won't finance anymore - so maybe someone else will step in? It would be such a shame to close now when they're actually talked about and seen! And sure, the clothes are very dressy, but as far as I've seen the complete collection was well composed with "everyday" pieces as well.
The fashion business is totally unfair... why oh why does it thrill you so?

Yes, but John Galliano's clothes are marketed to call girls and aren't too rarified or delicate. The Dior cosmetic line seems to be doing well by marketing itself to wannabe drug addicts and poisoners. Also, their licensing line of saddle bags and watches seems to be doing well with women who cannot afford the clothes.

I was very sad to hear this yesterday. Let's face it, when Procter and Gamble acquires your house, nothing good can come of it. P&G wants to scrap design and concentrate on frags only.

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perhaps Anna Wintour, can be of some assistance . . .

Anna looks like she's saying...

"Get out of my elevator, freak, you KNOW I ride alone!"

At least if she looked good, while saying it . . . what a beast.

What I can't understand is why are they closing it instead of trying to sell it? Isn't that throwing money away? Many a fashion and perfume division of a house have had separate ownership in the past. There's nothing unusual about splitting them up.

I agree the name of this scent is HORRID. What the heck were they thinking? Us Americans here would think the most obvious with such a name. I bet it was a horrid scent to smell. I've never smelled but at this point, glad I haven't. I'm sure I would've hated it anyway.


So true, Suz, so TRUE......

After reading "War Paint" the story on both Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden, came the 60's, it went all downhill after then w/all these conglomerates changing things, ruining good scents, discontinuing the best ones, and so on.......

Sad state of affairs now and back then when it all started


ROTHFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was too good, Suz, thanks for the best laugh I had today, in fact my only laugh today so far! LOL!!!!

I looked at the Rochas clothes in the Bon Marche department store in Paris last week. There were many lovely pieces, and they were not at all too "dressy" to be functional. What the SA told me and Carmencanada is that Rochas clothing is all sized VERY small and slim, and so they only fit a very limited pool of women - very young women, the women who are more into Dior's rock-n-roll style than Rochas's glamourous mature women's clothes.

I'm not really surprised about the decision, but I do think it is a pity.