Renzo Rosso

After months of speculation that Diesel founder Renzo Rosso would buy a stake in Marni, Rosso confirmed on Thursday that the brand is now in his portfolio.

The exact figures of the deal were not disclosed, but Reuters reports that Rosso made the acquisition through his holding company, Only the Brave, which in addition to Diesel also controls Maison Martin Margiela and Viktor & Rolf. Rosso told WWD that it's his ultimate goal to crate the industry's next big fashion conglomerate.

"It's my big dream to create a modern group that is an alternative to the existing ones," he said. "We are beginning to become one such group, and we are working on consolidating it."

Rosso's investment will not only help open more Marni boutiques around the world, but also push the brand into markets like China. That's the kind of support Marni founder and CEO Gianni Castiglioni said he was looking for in October.

"We would like to double our sales in five years through a further development of retail but without drastically overturning our company," he said. "I would be open to consider a partner only if he would share my vision in managing the company. We are looking at industrial partners that can provide competence and long-term vision."

Industrially speaking, Rosso is a good fit. Through its subsidiaries, Only the Brave manufactures clothing for Vivienne Westwood, Dsquared2, and Marc Jacobs's menswear line. Rosso is also invested in the ecommerce giant Yoox, and in Marcolin, a company that produces eyewear for Tom Ford, Roberto Cavalli, and — naturally — Diesel.

>> Under the lead of designer Sophia Kokosalaki, who debuted her first collection for Diesel Black Gold in February for Fall 2010 (with Kate Lanphear styling), Diesel founder Renzo Rosso is in the midst of repositioning the label.

Rosso broke Black Gold off as a separate business division and company veteran Andrea Baldo has been named the label's new general manager. Baldo plans to bring higher quality to Black Gold by using mostly Italian fabrics, tightening distribution (the men's line will be available exclusively at Barneys in the Fall), and creating a new logo, a new shop concept, and more accessories. There will also be dedicated Black Gold advertising campaigns.

As for the core denim »

>> For the better part of a year, rumors of Martin Margiela's withdrawal from his label have plagued the industry. In October, majority owner Renzo Rosso finally confirmed that Margiela was no longer involved in design and later said he was about to name a replacement.

It seems Rosso has changed his mind: Giovanni Pungetti, chief executive of Maison Martin Margiela, said today that the designer has quietly left the comapny and will not be replaced. The fashion house, which had in the past offered his job to Haider Ackermann and Raf Simons, will continue to operate with the creative staff, 28-strong, that Margiela developed over his 20-year stint. According to Pungetti: “It would have been very simple to hire someone else, and we evaluated that option, but in the end, what is important is the taste of designer."

What spurred the departure? »

>> Renzo Rosso Expects To Name New Margiela Designer Shortly —It was only recently finally confirmed that Martin Margiela is no longer involved with the designing at Maison MM, but the brand's majority stakeholder Renzo Rosso, according to The Moment, says he's "thisclose to naming a new designer at Martin Margiela. Rosso stressed that Martin Margiela will continue to be involved with his namesake label, albeit at a distance." [The Moment, @themoment]

>> First Ann-Sofie Back signs on as head designer to help Cheap Monday branch out from its denim roots, and now Sophia Kokosalaki is joining Diesel Black Gold in a lead design role: is this a trend coming on, name designers helping to restructure denim brands?

Black Gold is Diesel's high-end contemporary line, and Kokosalaki is being brought in to overhaul the brand — which is not showing a Spring 2010 collection at New York Fashion Week this September as it typically would — starting with the relaunched Fall 2010 collection next February.  Kokosalaki nearly always wears black and denim herself, and Diesel chairman Renzo Rosso has full faith in her "incredible" talent and "skill in dealing with denim and contemporary casual, the core of Diesel Black Gold."  The position is quite a change from her stint as creative director of French house Vionnet.

Rosso bought a majority stake in Kokosalaki's namesake line last year, and her new position at Diesel has allowed her to acquire her label back from Rosso for an undisclosed sum.  She plans to continue to develop the line independently.

>> Martin Margiela may rarely speak out, but over the weekend, plenty of people were doing some talking for him.  As the designer prepares for his twentieth anniversary Maison Martin Margiela show this evening, rumors are swirling that he is about to exit fashion entirely.

Over the last year, Margiela has told colleagues that he wants to stop designing and is looking for a successor, and two designers have admitted to be in talks with Renzo Rosso, who owns Maison Martin Margiela.  One of those designers may be Raf Simons, who earlier this year discussed the possibility of replacing Margiela before ultimately deciding to stay at Jil Sander.

Although some of Margiela's colleagues disagree, Renzo Rosso said last week that "for a long time [Margiela] has a strong team and does not work on the collection, just on special projects," which if true, leaves the potential new designer with an open door.
*image: source