Tallulah takes the veil

marcus ohlsson/velvet via TFS


And not before time. In July, Tallulah Morton’s mother agency in Sydney told frockwriter the then 16 year-old had a good shot at the August/September cover of indie Italian fashion magazine Velvet. That cover did not eventuate - and nor did Morton’s Spring/Summer 2009 runway season, which came to an abrupt halt after the New York leg. Four months later, after consecutive editorials in the magazine’s September and October editions, Morton has finally made Velvet’s January 2009 cover. Not yet out on the stands, this represents her first international magazine cover.

Thanks to The Fashion Spot for the scan – and Guillaume at the Marilyn agency in Paris for double-confirming that the Marcus Ohlsson shot is in fact Morton.

Given that her face is covered by a veil, it’s a little hard to tell.

Marilyn reports that Morton shot 15-18 pages of editorial with Ohlsson for this issue.

How much appears in the published edition remains to be seen, however the cover shot looks to have come from this lingerie editorial, which is similarly styled with a scarf wrapped around Morton’s face (somewhat reminiscent of the Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb fragrance ad campaign).

Ryan Phillippe gets a taste of Sydney’s pap frenzy

flynetonline.com/gossip girls

Boy, is he in for a fun time. Here is Phillippe arriving at Sydney airport yesterday and being hurried off to a waiting car by gf Abbie Cornish. Pending the stature of the celeb, and the mode of arrival, it is possible to be whisked through discreetly. But then, with airport contacts on Sydney pap payrolls, it’s hard to be invisible in this town. More than one highprofiler – from Heath Ledger to Nicole Kidman - has railed against the Oz paparazzi contingent. Phillippe is in town for tomorrow night’s Calvin Klein party, which Cornish is hosting.

It's a massive do for 400 on Cockatoo Island, an erstwhile convict prison - and access to which is exclusively by water.

A fleet of CK execs are in town. And while the guest list might so far be light on big international names beyond Phillippe and Cornish, fashion-centric Australian-ites who are due to touch down include Brana Wolf, models Alexandra Agoston-O’Connor, Elyse Taylor, Gail Elliott and Australia’s Next Top Model 2009 host Sarah Murdoch.

Oh and Mark Ronson.

Gemma Ward was one name initially mooted as a potential host for this gig – given her CK perfume connections. Which would have been interesting.

Either way, it promises to be a big night. I’ll be there with Sonny Vandevelde, covering for WWD.

We'll keep you posted.

RELATED:
THE PAP HYATT
CALVIN KLEIN'S LATEST OBSESSION?
"BRYAN" PHILLIPPE GETS YET ANOTHER TASTE OF SYDNEY'S PAP FRENZY

Josh Goot on-schedule again at LFW - with Sienna Miller

twenty8twelve


Oh my, the countdown to the Fall/Winter 09/10 season has already begun. Just how many designers will be swapping regular runway shows for more cost-effective, scaled-down "presentations", remains to be seen. In a demonstration, however, that not everyone in the fashion business is in dire financial straits at the moment - or that there's still a surprising volume of sponsor cash still floating around - London Fashion Week released its provisional schedule a few hours ago. And it's one of the busiest London schedules that frockwriter can in fact recall. Australia's Josh Goot is back again on-schedule for the second consecutive season at 12.15pm on Tuesday 24th February. One of the more interesting additions to join Goot and London's regular ready-to-wear retinue will be the international runway debut of Twenty8Twelve: the hybrid label from style-savvy British actor Sienna Miller and her fashion designer sister Savannah.

Here's the draft schedule:

Friday 20th February
10.00 Paul Costelloe BFC Tent
11.30 Caroline Charles BFC Tent
13.30 Jenny Packham BFC Tent
15.00 Eun Jeong * BFC Tent
17.00 Ashish TBC
19.30 Central Saint Martins BFC Tent

Saturday 21st February
9.00 Kinder Aggugini W1
10.00 Graeme Black W1
11.15 Margaret Howell W1
12.15 John Rocha BFC Tent
13.30 Charles Anastase WC1
14.30 Unique TS/NW1
15.45 PPQ BFC Tent
16.45 Nathan Jenden TBC
18.00 Armand Basi One SW3
19.15 Peter Jensen TS/NW1
19.15 Ann Sofie-Back TS/NW1
20.30 Vivienne Westwood Red Label TBC

Sunday 22nd February
9.15 Betty Jackson TBC
10.15 Todd Lynn TS/NW1
11.15 Nicole Farhi WC2
12.30 Sinha Stanic TBC
13.30 Christopher Kane*** TS/NW1
14.45 Aquascutum SW3
15.45 Eley Kishimoto BFC Tent
16.45 Richard Nicoll TS/NW1
17.45 Danielle Scutt** TS/NW1
19.00 Jaeger LondonBFC Tent
21.00 Twenty8Twelve TBC
Presentations
TBC Amanda Wakeley TBC
TBC Modernist TBC

Monday 23rd February
9.00 Ossie Clark BFC Tent
10.00 Luella W1 TBC
11.00 Erdem*** TBC
12.15 Julien Macdonald W1
13.15 Marios Schwab*** TS/NW1
14.30 Jasper Conran SW7
15.30 Roksanda Ilincic TBC
16.45 Louise Goldin** TS/NW1
17.45 Giles WC1
19.00 Paul Smith W1
20.00 Issa BFC Tent
Presentations
11-17.00 Mulberry W1

Tuesday 24th February
9.00 Mark Fast** BFC Tent
9.00 Mary Katrantzou** BFC Tent
10.00 Duro Olowu SW7
11.15 Fashion East BFC Tent
12.15 Josh Goot TBC
13.30 Peter Pilotto** BFC Tent
14.30 Meadham Kirchhoff** BFC Tent
15.45 Osman Yousefzada TBC
16.45 Nasir Mazhar** BFC Tent
18.00 Bora Aksu SW7
19.00 House of Holland** TBC
20.00 Kisa London BFC Tent

Wednesday 25th February
11.00 MAN TBC

Show date & timing TBC:
Basso & Brooke

Presentation date & timing TBC:
Aminaka Wilmont
Antoni & Alison

KEY
*** BFC Fashion Forward supported by LDA
** BFC New Gen sponsored by TOPSHOP
* Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden winner 2008

SOURCE: londonfashionweek.co.uk/schedule

Runway to reality: Runway Reporter shutdown blogger vindicated, fired – after being retrenched

Isaac Hindin Miller [L], Jordan Rondel and Bryanboy @ NZ Fashion Week, Sep 16/bryanboy


Three days after word leaked from within ACP Media that the Auckland-based company was about to shutter websites, starting with the high profile fashion site Runway Reporter, the online home of Fashion Quarterly magazine, The New Zealand Herald reports today that the company has retrenched “8-10” staff and is shuttering three sites, Runway Reporter, metrolive.co.nz and yourhomeandgarden.co.nz - with cleo.co.nz and taste.co.nz to be outsourced to JV partner, msn.com. The websites of the “Trader” division, which includes the titles Auto Trader, Deals on Wheels, Motorcyle Trader and News, Trade-a-Boat and Buy, Sell & Exchange remain unaffected. The report comes two days after Dykzeul told Fairfax NZ news portal stuff.co.nz that the claims, as reported on NZ blog Isaac Likes, were “defamatory and incorrect”. In an interesting twist to the saga, 24 year-old Isaac Likes blogger Isaac Hindin Miller now finds himself out of a job. That is, out of a day job. Hindin Miller, who has been working as market editor for the AGM Publishing-owned Urbis magazine, was summarily dismissed yesterday with zero benefits and marched to the door by publisher Parul Sheopuri. Coincidentally, yesterday’s incident - which sounds like the kind of treatment that is usually meted out to high powered execs privy to sensitive company data - unfolded a matter of hours before Hindin Miller’s own redundancy consultation was due to take place.

On Monday, Hindin Miller was informed that his own position was being made redundant.

Frockwriter contacted AGM Publishing and was told by Parul Sheopuri that Hindin Miller's contractual arrangement with the company came to an end yesterday because he "posted comments about a competitor of AGM, during business hours".

Convenient, of course, that AGM Publishing does now not have to give Hindin Miller severance pay.

Unfortunately, just as frockwriter was attempting to ask one last question - specifically about the redundancy - Sheopuri hung up.

It should be noted that AGM Publishing was well aware of Hindin Miller’s blog, as it has been active for eight months.

The blog has covered several other media stories in recent months, including a discussion of media ethics.

As for the NZ Herald’s coverage today, it is interesting to note that the ACP Media story was neither a news story, nor even the lead story of the paper's ‘Tsars in their eyes’ media column penned by John Drinnan.

The ACP Media story is placed towards the end of the column, with the reference to ACP Media having “pulled the red carpet from under its fashion website runwayreporter.co.nz" buried at the very end of the piece, almost as an afterthought.

Frockwriter can’t help thinking that it might have been a different matter had the NZ Herald had the story first.

Three mainstream New Zealand media outlets picked this story up the minute it broke: stuff.co.nz, Computerworld and The National Business Review.

It is not clear whether, at time of filing, the NZ Herald had a copy of today's ACP Media press release.

Beyond choosing to run the Runway Reporter information towards the end of the article, the newspaper also quotes Paul Dykzeul as saying that Runway Reporter is being "largely disassembled".

And yet the lead paragraph of the NZ Herald story stated:

"ACP New Zealand has pulled back from its digital strategy, scrapping metrolive.co.nz and yourhomeandgarden.co.nz from next month".

In the ACP Media press release, Paul Dykzeul is quoted as saying:

"The websites runwayreporter.co.nz, metrolive.co.nz and yourhomeandgarden.co.nz would not continue in their present format beyond mid January".

The press release also states that:

"[Sydney-based] ACP Magazines and MSN New Zealand will jointly develop new opportunities in the Fashion and Home and Garden areas, to be delivered as part of MSN's expanding Lifestyle channel".

Frockwriter understands that at least one NZ media outlet is interested in Hindin Miller's story.

ACP Media: Denies websites are shutting, but confirms consultations with staff

An update on yesterday’s Runway Reporter story. ACP Media ceo Paul Dykzeul has just told Fairfax New Zealand’s stuff.co.nz news portal that claims by an unnamed ACP Media source that the company is to shutter its websites, starting with Runway Reporter, and make eight staff redundant, are “defamatory and incorrect”. Dykzeul did not clarify precisely which information was incorrect, but said the company would release a statement tomorrow. Up until midday today, Dykzeul was not returning anyone’s calls – including frockwriter’s. ACP Media group publisher Debra Millar has however proven more helpful in communicating with computerworld.co.nz, confirming that the company is in consultations with staff, adding that “It’s premature to be making any announcements”.
UPDATE 12/12/08: RUNWAY REPORTER SHUTDOWN BLOGGER VINDICATED, FIRED - AFTER BEING RETRENCHED.

Debra Millar described claims that 12 staff were to be made redundant as “incorrect”.

As readers may recall however, the figure cited by the original source was eight staff, not 12.

ACP Media’s head of digital Lee Williams tells Computerworld that the company is “always reviewing operations” and is in fact planning expansion, with work in development for ACP Australia.

Computerworld nevertheless cites two additional sources who claim that redundancies are occurring at ACP Media and that websites are to be closed.

River Phoenix lookalike model dies. Eight weeks later, now we know why

models.com

A sad – and some might say inevitable – conclusion to the story of 20 year-old American fashion model Randy Johnston, a former Dior Homme advertising star, who died in mysterious circumstances on October 11. Beyond web gossip - which included numerous anonymous comments left on this blog, which I was unable to put up at the time - no official cause of death has hitherto been provided. And there was good reason for that: the Medical Examiner in Hartford, Connecticut, which was Johnston’s home state and the location of his death, took some time to release its findings. Eight weeks later, frockwriter can reveal the Hartford Medical Examiner’s verdict: accidental heroin toxicity. Yes, aspiring musician Randy Johnston died from a heroin OD, just like his hero Sid Vicious - the person he told models.com he would most like to meet. Contrary to the rife net speculation that Johnston overdosed at a “Ford party” however – which, needless to say, would have been extremely awkward for Ford Models, the agency which repped Johnston at the time of his death – according to the New London Police Department, Johnston was found at “a friend’s house” at Bank Street, New London. Although the case is now officially closed, it does beg a few questions.

According to Captain William Dittman, the head of investigations at the New London Police Department, Johnston died at 5.47pm on Saturday 11 October.

Johnston was found on a couch. It is possible, said Dittman, that Johnston and friends were at another location beforehand.

However Dittman’s department believes that Johnston is most likely to have overdosed at the Bank Street house, then fell asleep and simply never woke up.

The New London Police Department has ruled that there are no suspicious circumstances.

Two other parties were present and a small amount of heroin was found on the premises. Neither Johnston nor the other parties, were known to the New London Police.

According to postings by web forum users claiming to be Johnston’s friends, the 20 year-old had been struggling with a heroin problem for some time.

At the time of Johnston's death, a LiveJournal poster who goes by the handle “amandar057” noted:

“he had stopped modeling spring 2007 and came home, did not work, and just spent all of his money on heroin”.

According to “Chump”, who claims to have been one of Johnston’s best friends while growing up:

“Randy was a great person...that succumbed to drugs, to those who want to know. It isn't slander, he really had a problem that everyone that knew him tried to help him with....

“PS: Fuck the modeling industry for introducing him to the nice little coke parties held up in modeling houses. You fucking assholes need to keep in check what your EMPLOYEES are doing to keep themselves looking that slender”.

Drug-related deaths are of course not uncommon – and occur in all walks of life.

What seems odd in this case, is that Johnston appeared to be continuing to enjoy a high profile modelling career at the time of his death, with a fresh editorial in Britain’s i-D magazine, starring opposite top Dutch model Lara Stone, along with other work.

If Johnston had a heroin problem, it seems strange that one of the world’s biggest model agencies continued to trot him out for work.

Did the agency know?

Did it not know?

Did it care?

Frockwriter has sought comment from Ford Models on several occasions, to no avail.

However earlier this morning, we did finally manage to get through to a spokesperson by the name of Lauren Harris, who noted:

“Ford is not commenting on anything”.

It's little wonder that Ford won't be drawn on the subject. A heroin overdose is not great for business - particularly anyone involved in the image-conscious fashion business.

But that’s a business, curiously, which glamourises drug use.

From junkie Amy Winehouse, a recent muse of Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel and Guess? Jeans, to junkie Pete Doherty, the erstwhile inspirational muse of former Dior Homme designer Hedi Slimane - who revolutionised the menswear market with his über skinny silhouette, which many have dubbed “heroin chic”.

And not forgetting Kate Moss, whose earnings doubled after the so-called Cocaine Kate scandal, in which Moss was photographed snorting cocaine with her then boyfriend Doherty.

Yes, drugs are fashionable.

Tell that to Randy Johnston’s parents.

Runway Reporter to shutter as the axe falls at ACP Media?

According to a source within the Auckland-headquartered ACP Media, ACP Media is about to shutter some, if not all, of its websites, starting with Runway Reporter. The company's other websites include Cleo, Metro and Taste. Eight staff are said to have been made redundant. Launched by NZ fashion writer Stacey Gregg in 2006, Runway Reporter was acquired by ACP Media later that year and has since evolved into one of the region's more high profile fashion sites. Frockwriter has sought comment from both ACP Media and ACP Magazines in Sydney, with as yet no response.[Isaac Likes]
UPDATE 10/12/08: ACP MEDIA DENIES WEBSITES ARE SHUTTING, BUT CONFIRMS CONSULTATIONS WITH STAFF.
UPDATE 12/12/08: RUNWAY REPORTER SHUTDOWN BLOGGER VINDICATED, FIRED - AFTER BEING RETRENCHED.

Abbey Lee's Gucci x 2

gucci via wwd

A fortnight after she appeared as a Victoria’s Secret Angel in the US lingerie company’s blockbuster runway show, Abbey Lee Kershaw has notched up her latest advertising coup, her second Gucci campaign for 2008, as the face of Gucci’s new fragrance, Flora.
UPDATE 20/12: ABBEY LEE ALSO BAGS GUCCI RESORT 09.
UPDATE 01/01/09: ABBEY LEE'S GUCCI x 4

Aimed at a younger customer, and to be launched in April, Gucci’s latest perfume was named after Gucci’s iconic Flora print.

First used on a scarf made for Princess Grace in 1966, the print was hauled from the company’s archives in 2005 by new creative director Frida Giannini, to create a series of best-selling canvas bags.

On Friday, industry sources told WWD the fragrance could generate US$220million in sales in its first year, in spite of the difficult economic climate.

The tvc has been shot by Chris Cunningham, with Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin shooting the print campaign.

Such has been the extraordinary success of the 21 year old Melbourne native this year – not to mention that of her even younger Chic/Next stablemate, Myf Shepherd – that it is easy to overlook the fact that Kershaw was a complete unknown in the northern hemisphere one year ago.

Before Kershaw had even set foot on an international runway, she had already shot the D&G spring/summer 2008 ad campaign with high profile fashion snapper Mario Testino, with whom she would also shoot the D&G pre Fall 2008 campaign.

In February in New York, Kershaw hit the ground running in her first international runway show season, eventually walking in an impressive 44 Fall/Winter 2008/2009 shows – a number that would have been higher had she not been snaffled by Gucci for a Milan runway exclusive. Which was swiftly followed by the Gucci FW0809 ad campaign (Inez & Vinoodh). Natch.

Here’s the official FW0809 campaign vid:



For Spring/Summer 2009, Kershaw walked in 48 shows. This included another Gucci runway exclusive, at the immediate conclusion of which Kershaw appeared in five high profile Italian shows in 24 hours: Alessandro dell 'Acqua, Max Mara, Pucci, Fendi and Versace.

Kershaw also became infamous for two SS09 runway spills, even though neither incident occurred within range of the photographer’s gallery: in falling off her vertiginous Nicholas Kirkwood shoes at Rodarte in New York and then fainting in Alexander McQueen’s corset in Paris three weeks later.

This just-published Mario Sorrenti shoot of Kershaw in Vogue Italia reveals why the corset may have been a bit too, well, small for Kershaw.

Kershaw has also appeared in the FW0809 campaigns for both CK Jeans and Express Jeans, as well as a Lord & Taylor advertisement - alongside Lauren Hutton.

The Gucci Flora campaign is one of two new ad campaigns nabbed by Kershaw, after the See by Chloe SS09 campaign - which Kershaw shot last weekend according to her Sydney agency.

Since September, Kershaw has also scored four international fashion magazine covers: one of multiple September covers of V magazine, one of multiple covers of the FW0809 edition of the French Revue des Modes, the October cover of Dazed & Confused and the December cover of Numéro Korea.

What a year.



both covers: models.com

The (3D) World is their Oyster

Behold the 79th cover of Oyster – Australia’s longest-surviving indie fashion/lifestyle magazine. The issue is out next week, but here’s a sneak peek at the contents: profiles on Alber Elbaz, Gaspard Yurkievich, Peaches, Gang Gang Dance, Diane Pernet and the founders of Sixties counterculture bible OZ, Richard Neville, Albie Thoms and Louise Ferrier. Also, diary entries by Catherine Holstein, Michael Angel, Jason Wu and Ohne Titel and images/shoots by Karen Inderbitzen-Waller, Petrovsky & Ramone, Ben Sullivan, Frederic Bastin, Sonny Vandevelde and Jonas Bresnan. The latter’s images include this cover shot of Czech model Jana Knauerova.

And just in case there is any confusion here – because, by all accounts, it has been a stressful coupla weeks for all concerned - Oyster is most definitely still standing.

On November 20, Oyster’s parent company, 3D World Publishing, was reacquired by founder Jonathon Morris and Monika Nakata – seven days after the digital media and entertainment company to which it was sold 12 months ago, Destra Corporation, went into receivership.

All 15 3D World Publishing staff have been retained.

Not a bad outcome, at a time when even mainstream publishers are handing out redundancy letters with alarming frequency.

After hooking up with deputy ed Paul Bui at New Zealand Fashion Week in September, and after a very long hiatus from Oyster’s pages, I have a feature in the new issue – the Alber Elbaz profile.

The last time I wrote for Oyster was at least a decade ago.

That last Oyster profile, as it happens, was on Martin Margiela and it did include a one-on-one - contrary to what you may have read elsewhere about Margiela having never done any interviews.

Ksubi, or not Ksubi: Will Renzo Rosso give a rat’s?

gorrow (L) and single @ ksubi bondi, november 27/the cobrasnake


“Ksubi goes pop” was the headline of a vogue.co.uk story on November 24, referring to the hipster Sydney denim label’s plans to transplant its 'Lest We Regret' pop-up store to London in early 2009. The pop-up store recently debuted within the Little Collins Street boutique of Melbourne streetwear label Schwipe - which installation, incidentally, was reported elsewhere to have been decorated with jars containing Ksubi’s shredded financial records. In the wake of a spate of recent reports – which follow at least six months of ragtrade buzz that Ksubi has, once again, been unable to pay its bills – some may well be wondering if the vogue.co.uk headline might have been a self-fulfilling prophecy. Especially if Diesel founder Renzo Rosso, or some other party, does not come to the rescue.

Picking up earlier reports in The Age, The Herald Sun and The Sunday Telegraph, on December 1st Runway Reporter reported that 15 Ksubi staff had been made redundant and that an urgent director’s meeting was scheduled for last week.

A debt burden of A$8million has been bandied about by several media outlets, including The Sydney Morning Herald, whose Private Sydney column on Saturday revealed that the company may be in talks with Rosso – even if rumours of both discussions with Rosso and “crippling debt” were hosed down by directors Dan Single, George Gorrow and “executive consultant” Harry Hodge.

In a statement, Single and Gorrow told the SMH:

"It's absolutely not true that Ksubi has been bought by Diesel or any other party. We have never even met with them before. We are, however, heading to Asia and Europe next week to talk business with our manufacturers and distributors."

Hodge told The Herald’s Andrew Hornery:

"Sure, we have had redundancies and trading is difficult at the moment, but it's difficult for everyone. We have had to raise capital in the past and we may well do that again in the future".

Yes, times are tough. And whichever way it swings, Ksubi is by no means the only fashion company to fall victim to the global economic crisis. Two young high-profile Danish labels, Jens Laugesen and Camilla Staerk, recently shuttered.

The US retail market, which would have accounted for an important chunk of Ksubi’s estimated A$24million sales turnover, is in very, very bad shape. It is rumoured that Ksubi has now closed its US office.

Sydney eveningwear specialist Jayson Brunsdon recently described the impact on his US Fall/Winter 0809 sales as “a disaster” - and, like sass & bide, did not show at the SS09 New York shows in September.

Another Sydney denim brand, 18th Amendment, revealed to WWD earlier this year that the company had pulled out of more than 100 US stockists and was attempting to claw back a A$500,000 debt out of the US, from stockists who were not paying. 18th Amendment director Rachel Rose conceded that the brand, which launched in 2006, had been sold too widely in the US market.

But with Zimmermann reporting growth in the US, evidently, success – nay survival – depend on a company’s business model. Zimmermann is of course not in the denim market. The company has moreover spent a decade building up its brand equity in the US swimwear and resortwear market, which may well have partially insulated it from the recent downturn.

But while Ksubi may be able to apportion some blame to the current economic crisis, this is not the first time the company has experienced problems.

Ksubi launched at Australian Fashion Week in May 2001, originally under the Tsubi brand name, with a runway show that was famously infested with 169 rats.

By November 2005 the Australian and New Zealand ragtrade was rife with rumours that Tsubi owed money to suppliers.

Although Single flatly denied the company was experiencing cashflow problems, one supplier told this journalist at the time that his company was owed several hundred thousand dollars – part of what was understood to be a much wider debt to other suppliers that could have been as high as A$1million.

Then in April 2006, Single and Gorrow found themselves embroiled in a trademark dispute with Californian footwear brand Tsubo.

When asked about the dispute, Gorrow told the SMH:

"I haven't heard that. I don't even know these guys. I don't even know who they are. Have you ever seen one of their shoes? Maybe I've been drunk for the past 12 months."

According to Tsubo’s lawyer, Jack Douglas, however, Tsubo’s communications with Tsubi had dated back several years but were ignored by Tsubi, prompting Tsubo to commence legal proceedings in the Federal Court in New York.

The parties settled out of court, with Tsubi permitted to retain its original name within Australia, but obliged to adopt the new brand name of Ksubi in the rest of the world.

Although dubbed by Dan Single as "a great result for Tsubi", the two-brand scenario was described by Sam Osborn, the Australian ceo of Interbrand, the world’s best-known branding consultancy, as a potential “branding nightmare” for Tsubi.

Shortly thereafter, a decision was made to adopt the universal brand name of Ksubi.

According to Interbrand's Osborn, the rebranding process alone could have cost A$1million.

In May last year, much ado was made of the arrival of Quiksilver Europe co-founder Hodge as a minority shareholder.

Hodge’s private investment company Kauai may have already been a Ksubi creditor – having reportedly loaned Ksubi A$550,000 in November 2006.

In a statement, Single and Gorrow said:

“As Ksubi aspires to grow its international reputation to become one of the leading fashion and lifestyle brands, we knew we had to bring in people who could guide the growth of our brand as we expand across many different product areas and grow our global business.”

According to sources, Single and Gorrow had planned to take the brand to A$100million sales.

But could Renzo Rosso be seriously interested in helping them do it?

The 53 year-old Italian, who is rapidly turning into one of the new titans of the global fashion business, is already busy with his own blockbuster denim/streetwear brand Diesel, which reportedly accounted for 90percent of the 1.3billion euro 2007 revenues of Rosso’s Only The Brave parent company.

Then there is the burgeoning brand portfolio of Only The Brave’s Staff International subsidiary, whose latest addition, a five-year licensing agreement with Marc Jacobs menswear, joins a stable that already includes either controlling interests in, or global manufacturing/distribution licensing rights for, names such as Maison Martin Margiela, Viktor & Rolf, Vivienne Westwood, Dsquared and Sophia Kokosalaki.

Sure, Dsquared and co boast a denim component, however Rosso’s impresario penchant would appear to be tickled more by high profile, niche luxury brand names in need of a financial legup – than denim/streetwear rivals seeking to cannibalise Diesel’s market share.

But let’s wait and see.

It sounds as if Ksubi may have to take a number in the growing line of other Rosso hopefuls, which reportedly include London-based denim brand Superfine, which was co-founded by Australian Lucy Pinter.

In the meantime, if Ksubi does indeed owe anywhere near A$8million, then presumably there are a lot of nervous 'little' people out there.

Unlike Single and Gorrow, the latter don’t lead 'rock star' lifestyles, DJ on the Euro dance party circuit or get their faces on the photoblog of great Ksubi mate Mark 'The Cobrasnake' Hunter.

But Ksubi could not have made its garments without them.

No doubt they are concerned that they may face the prospect of never being paid.