Monday, July 28, 2008

The Buzz on Peter Som at Bill Blass

Ever since Fashionista reported on Thursday that Peter Som might be leaving Bill Blass, news has been all over the place. Here's what we gathered from all the raucous. Disclaimer: it gets a little confusing.

WWD reported the same day that Som actually did resign, finally fed up by the financial trouble at parent company Nexcen.

Later that day, Portfolio said that Som is not leaving, but renegotiating his contract.

Then Friday morning, Fashion Week Daily announced that Som is actually bound by contract to stay until the spring 2009 showing (even though Blass cancelled their runway show in the upcoming Fashion Week and opted for an editor presentation instead).

Finally, WWD reported this morning that Som is indeed staying with the fashion house, despite the fact that Nexcen is definitely broke and can't afford what Som wants to do with the label. At the same time, they need him to stay on so they can sell the company to someone who can. Add on top of that the fact that Blass hasn't paid Som in months, and you've got one definitely tense situation.

Thankfully, our faithful knight in shining Prada has come to the rescue. According to the New York Post, Anna Wintour actually convinced Som to stay on for the label's sake, at least until a deal can be struck with a bidder. After the past year of mixed reviews of Som's collections, let's hope Wintour's support isn't a lost cause.
-Grace Bahk

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