Suki texted me perhaps one of the saddest news for the week - the house of Rochas is closing.

Yeah, yeah, I know many would say that I'm nuts for feeling sad that a fashion house is closing when there is a war going on between Lebanon and Israel.

(Guys, just because I'm writing about the closure of the house of Rochas, it doesn't mean I don't care about other pressing issues. You'd have to know Rochas and at least, have a thing for fashion to know why Suki, me and a million other fans are mourning its demise.

I was also surprised to find out that this fantastic fashion house is owned by Procter & Gamble, yes, Procter & Gamble. Not even in my wildest dreams have I ever imagined this.

From what I've read P&G acquired the company after the former bought Wella.

To those who are not familiar withRochas, its designer Olivier Theyskens is one of our generation's fashion geniuses. I daresay he's a future Karl Lagerfeld or a Yves St. Laurent.

Season after season, Mr. Theyskens' collection have received nothing but praise and acclaim. The designer himself has been a favorite in the fashion world. He was recently given the International Designer of the Year at the CFDA Awards.

US Vogue editrix Anna Wintour says,"“It is really very unfortunate. It seems Proctor & Gamble was not the right company to capitalise on Theyskens’ design strengths and was not willing to go the extra distance to support him. If he’d been with LVMH or Gucci, it would have been a different story. “He (Theyskens) is exceptionally talented and so brilliant at understanding that fashion success is not just beautiful ballgowns. He can do well-crafted, well-made suits and clothes that women really want to wear.”

So you ask what the issue is then? Well, the pricing of Rochas is quite steep. A jacket can cost around $3,500, while a gown may go as high as $100,000.

Sigh.

The last collection to be shipped would be the Fall/Winter 2006 collection.

After that, Rochas would only continue producing fragrance.

Sigh.

Rochas dates back to 1924, when it was founded by couturier Marcel Rochas. The couturier is credited as the creator of the two-thirds length coat and the first one to put pockets in skirts.