PARIS, Nov 24, 2002/ --- Following intense speculation in Paris fashion circles, Rochas has finally confirmed the appointment of Belgian designer Olivier Theyskens as artistic director of the house.

The 25-year-old with the Gothic looks, who first gained recognition for the outfit he designed for Madonna for the 1998 Oscars, replaces Dublin-born Peter O'Brien, who has been at the house for 12 years.

Theyskens has been hailed as one of the most original new talents on the design spectrum, and was briefly courted by LVMH boss Bernard Arnault for the position of couturier at Givenchy, a job that eventually went to Julien Macdonald.

According to Rochas' fashion director, Christophe Hebre, Theyskens has been working in the house's studios since last week. Hebre brushed off talk about the level of secrecy surrounding the appointment saying, "We were in no rush to make an announcement as the contract has only been signed very recently and Olivier won't be showing his first show until March."

One thing Hebre would not discuss, at least for the time being, was how Rochas acquired the designer's talents. It remains unclear whether Theyskens will continue with his eponymous collection, but given recent reports of tension between the designer and his backer, Belgian lawyer Isabelle Stevens, it would not be surprising if Theyskens took a sabbatical from his own house, at least for a season or two.

Stevens held a majority interest in Theyskens name, and whether or not Rochas, which is owned by Wella, bought her out remains uncertain. Stevens was not available for comment at her offices in Belgium and San Marino.

"We are really focusing now on fashion," said Hebre, who declined to discuss financial projections for the company's fashion operations before adding that, "yes, of course we will be making a huge push for the American market as it's so important." Part of that U.S. push will be next year's stateside launch of the label's new perfume, Absolu. In Europe, that fragrance's campaign is being fronted by Gucci model Rie Rasmussen.

A January pre-collection presentation during couture week is also tentatively in the cards. Theyskens, by then, will have just turned 26. "It would definitely just be in the showroom," specified Hebre, ruling out the possibility of a more public outing for the designer's first efforts for Rochas.

Apart from numerous licensees for accessories and men's wear -- Hebre isn't ruling out the possibility of bringing the latter back in-house in the future -- Rochas is believed to earn a considerable amount from a license with Itochu to produce a more conservative range, until now designed by O'Brien, for the Japanese market. Hebre told FWD that the house would likely continue this license but that, with Theyskens' new involvement and negotiations with Itochu, the style and focus would undergo an "evolution."

Hebre declined to discuss whether or not O'Brien still has contractual obligations to the house. The Irish designer, reached by FWD at his Paris residence, declined comment.

O'Brien, known for his ease in translating couture technique to ready-to-wear, earned his fashion credentials at Dior and Givenchy before heading the design team at Chloe for a few seasons, following Karl Lagerfeld's departure in the 1980s. He showed a single eponymous haute couture collection at the Irish Embassy in Paris in 2000 that garnered rave reviews.

On October 2, FWD reported on rumors circulating in the French capital that O'Brien's job was up for grabs.

Hebre denied that his appointment as fashion director at Rochas in May of this year had anything to do with replacing O'Brien. "I wouldn't say I was hired to find someone new, but my being hired was linked to that," he said. "But, yes, that [O'Brien's departure] was mainly decided already."