The House of Rochas is to close its doors. Owner Procter & Gamble has presented a shutdown plan to some 30 workers. The fall-winter 2006-7 collection will continue to be shipped and the fragrances will continue to be produced by P&G under the Rochas brand. Fashion, however, is off the cards, despite the successes enjoyed by designer Olivier Theyskens. According to WWD, retailers have not been formally told of the closure and no official announcement is planned. The laying-off of workers in France may take months.

Rochas came under ownership of P&G in 2003 when the company acquired Wella’s $6.9 billion portfolio, which included brand fragrances like Anna Sui, Escada and Gucci. Rochas was the only fashion company in that stable of brands. At the time, P&G tried to license the business, but third parties were only interested in the acquisition of both the fashion and fragrance brands together. Meanwhile, the closure of the fashion business signifies an end to three years of critically acclaimed collections by Theyskens. Earlier this year, the designer was honoured by the Council of Fashion Designers of America with an International Award. Rochas’ ready-to-wear business is believed to have gained 30 percent last year. Its pre-spring 2007 collection was met with positive reactions, but the high prices are said to have affected earnings. Critical acclaim is not a sort of guarantee for financial success. According to WWD, the business is believed to be loss-making. The fragrance business, however, is said to be “very healthy”, especially in France and Spain .

Theyskens has not commented on the development yet, but sources have speculated that he will be looking to fund the reestablishment of his signature label which he put on the back burner to work for Rochas. The designer often spoke of his own label as a separate entity which still occupied his mind. He said that some of his design ideas for that line were unsuitable for Rochas, where he developed a very elegant aesthetic. Meanwhile, P&G has continued to expand its stable of beauty brands. Last year, it finalized the integration of Wella’s fragrance division called Cosmopolitan Cosmetics, into P&G Prestige Beauty. The company now boasts brands like Lacoste, Valentino, Max Mara and Jean Patou. The generated a combined turnover of almost $2 billion.

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