Peter SomPhoto: Getty Images
Fashionista is reporting Peter Som is out as the head designer of Bill Blass. They received an e-mail that reads:
Or maybe he’s tired of being tied to a company that Nexcen has been wishy-washily trying to sell for months? Nexcen has appeared to be on the brink of collapse for some time. It acted like it was going to sell Bill Blass but then rejected bids for the house last week because they were too low. Then earlier this week they said they’ll hold off on the sale until the end of the year. What a mess. If we were Nexcen and we wanted a higher price for the label, we’d be buttering up Som like it’s our job so he can send out a killer collection at Fashion Week to show everyone what it’s worth.
We put in a call to the folks over at Blass to find out if this is true and are awaiting a reply.
Peter Som Out at Bill Blass? [Fashionista]
Update: WWD reports Som has resigned as creative director of Bill Blass:
Som Resigns at Bill Blass [WWD]
Update: Portfolio.com reports Peter Som is not resigning from Bill Blass, but rather is in the midst of renegotiating his contract with the house. Also, the label has canceled its September Fashion Week show:
“Due to the restructuring of the Bill Blass brand, NexCen and Bill Blass creative director Peter Som have decided to forgo a runway show during this interim period and is now considering presenting a collection to retailers this season,” the company said in a statement released to the press Thursday evening.
Exclusive – Peter Som Not Resigning From Bill Blass [Fashion Inc./Portfolio]
Update: Fashion Week Daily now reports Som is in fact saying on at Bill Blass:
[Som] is currently contractually obligated to present his spring 2009 collection for the house during New York’s Fashion Week. Som has struggled with corporate owner NexCen over both creative and financial issues (most recently, the decision to forgo a formal runway presentation in favor of an editor presentation), despite the fact that his first collection for the house was well-received. It is said that Som is working furiously to find a way out of his contract.
Oh, rumor mill…
Blass Backwards [Fashion Week Daily]
