The Blass Saga Continues:Bill Blass Brand Officially Sold

After the embarrassing and abrupt closure of Bill Blass Couture on December 19th, the brand's parent company, NexCen Brands Inc. has finally sold what is left of the designer label for $10 million to Peacock International Holdings, a South Korean based mid-tier men's furnishings and accessories manufacturer. Bill Blass continues to have a series of active licensees, many of whose products have not yet reached the market, and its men's creative director, designer Michael Bastian has remained with the company despite the departure of its women's designer, Peter Som.
This presumably ends the brand's financial limbo, and although Peacock would retain the rights to relaunch the Blass signature designer collection, that is not expected to happen anytime soon, if ever.
It was speculated that after a sale of the company was completed, that NexCen would be able to offer belated severance to the over 60 employees expelled from the company this month, many of whom had been with Blass for decades.
Let's hope they have earmarked at least a portion of that $10 million for that purpose.
NexCen Sells Bill Blass (WWD)
UPDATE: BILL BLASS COUTURE WILL RETURN
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Peacock International has every intention of bringing back the Bill Blass collection within nine to twelve months. Their agreement with NexCen prohibits a revival within the next six months, but it seems that the company is planning to have a Blass luxury line on the runways possibly as soon as next September.
“The recognition factor of the Bill Blass label is very high — in this country alone, it’s 88% — when you say ‘Bill Blass’ to just about anybody, they say, “Oh, Bill Blass,’” Peacock spokesperson Scott Patti tells WSJ.
That's heartening news. Perhaps some of those displaced Blass staffers may have their jobs returned to them next year. In the meantime, Peacock will be pulling Blass's existing licenses together to create a more unified fashion image for the brand...which is what NexCen was supposed to be doing all along.
Maybe they'll bring back the older, better logo.
Bill Blass’s New Owner Plans to Revive Couture Line (WSJ/Heard On The Runway)