Rochas is back, but not wz Theyskens

Olivier Theyskens may have moved on to Nina Ricci, but it appears that Procter & Gamble brass are feeling nostalgic for a bit of Rochas ready-to-wear. The company has announced that it will grant a licensing agreement to Italian manufacturer Gibo Co. SpA. The agreement, according to the Wall Street Journal, will cover ready-to-wear apparel under the Rochas brand. The first collection will be presented in March 2009.

The Daily has learned exclusively that Marco Zanini, most recently of Halston, is in talks to design the collection. After a long tenure as Donatella Versace's deputy women's wear designer, Zanini was named designer at Halston in January 2007, when the brand relaunched. He left the company in July. Emails to Gibo representatives were not returned by press time.