Manish Arora

Lydia Maurer, who became the artistic director of women's ready-to-wear at Spanish fashion house Paco Rabanne last Summer, is set to leave her post. There is no word on who will replace her.

Maurer, a young designer who was relatively unknown until she took the helm of the brand, had only been in the position since June. In a statement, the company credited Maurer with "raising the profile of the house on the international fashion stage." Before coming to Paco Rabanne, Maurer held positions at Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy and served as the head of the Paco Rabanne studio in November 2011.

But Maurer's predecessor Manish Arora — once called the John Galliano of India — was also only in the artistic director's chair for a short time. He was hired to help revive the brand's name in February 2011, and his work — including a metallic dress worn by Lady Gaga — was warmly received. But last May, the company announced that he would leave the company, saying, "The strong media impact of the past two seasons has enabled Paco Rabanne to partake with strength in the universe of contemporary fashion."

Photo: Lydia Maurer takes a bow at the end of the Paco Rabanne Fall 2013 show.

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

• Hermès doesn't sell its Birkin handbags online, but flash sale sites like Gilt, Rue La La, and MyHabit do. Here's a look at how they ensure authenticity. [BuzzFeed]
  

• A new deal with Sandow Media will expand Fred Segal beyond its Southern California roots. The retailer is expected to set up shops in New York, Miami, Las Vegas, as well as in Europe and Asia, with the first of the new stores opening some time next year. [Racked]
  

• Karl Lagerfeld has signed on to give the exterior of Monaco's Hotel Métropole a redesign. The first part of the project, which involves refreshing the hotel's pool, terrace, gardens, and a new restaurant, will be unveiled in July. [The Daily Telegraph]
  

• Paco Rabanne's artistic director Manish Arora is leaving the brand after designing just two season's worth of clothing and despite the fact that Arora's designs had gotten favorable press coverage. Lady Gaga even wore one of his dresses to the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards. [The Cut]
  

• Iris Apfel will debut her own handbags in collaboration with HSN, which also sells her jewelry line. The bags are made from Mongolian lamb's wool, snakeskin, and calf hair, and will retail for $228 to $398. [WWD]
  

• Greg Kessler's latest installment of Model-Morphosis shows off Chanel's most popular lacquers. Nails go from unadorned to coated with the flick of a mouse. [T Magazine]
  

• Nicola Formichetti will debut an eponymous fashion label next year. The clothes will be "digitally oriented and high-tech . . . Why do you have to have a zipper when you can have a jacket that's molded to your body?" Formichetti explained. [Styleite]

  Photo: A Birkin snapped on the streets during Milan Menswear Week in January 2012.

>> The rumor has been confirmed: Manish Arora is the new creative director of Paco Rabanne, and will show his first collection for the label in October during Paris Fashion Week — for Spring 2012. He will also continue his colorful signature collection, which is also shown in Paris but sells mostly in his native India.

The founding designer Rabanne has been consulting on the relaunch, which was kickstarted last month with the reissuing of the brand's iconic 1969 chain-mail bag, done in collaboration with Comme des Garcons's Rei Kawakubo. Those collaborations are expected to continue — next up is Judy Blame, who in March will unveil a collection of jewelry and his take on the chain-mail bag for the brand.

Vincent Thilloy, Puig VP overseeing Rabanne, said that the founder is looking to “transmit this brand to a new generation,” adding: “I think people are looking for brands with great heritage — and stories to tell. It’s a perfect time to come back.” And Arora, who is charged with bringing fashion back to the brand that shuttered ready-to-wear in 2006, says he is committed to Rabanne's heritage: "It’s very easy to use unorthodox materials, but not to do it with this kind of workmanship."

• Italian Vogue’s latest all-black spread: "The Black Allure" — The Cut
• 10 great retro fashion pieces on a budget — The Budget Fashionista
• Zadig & Voltaire keeps the youth looking sonic — W Editors' Blog
• Paco Rabanne has named Manish Arora as its new creative director — Vogue Daily
• Heidi Klum's secret shopping weapon? Her "gay husband"! — People
• Tom Ford to show at London Fashion Week — Fashionologie
• The Weekender: what to wear during New York Fashion Week — Stylelist
• Check out Kate Moss's dazzling engagement ring — InStyle
• A sneak peek at River Island's Summer 2011 collection — Red Carpet Fashion Awards
• Brazil's got talent: the latest on São Paulo Fashion Week — Vogue Daily
• Calling all Charlottes: Derek Lam's new shoulder bag — Bag Snob

>> Paco Rabanne has slowly been edging back into the fashion game — first with handbags that hit stores next month, and then with clothing, which is promised soon after. The namesake designer, who has been consulting on the relaunch of Rabanne, recently said: "The Paco Rabanne brand is and must remain what it has always been: audacious." And now, it's rumored that Manish Arora may be tapped as the new creative director; though it's not confirmed, Aurora does have a knack for color and print. And speaking of designer rumors, there's also one going around that Haider Ackermann is being scouted to replace Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent — apparently YSL CEO Valerie Hermann attended Ackermann's Spring 2011 show in October incognito, without an offical ticket request or RSVP. [Racked, Racked]