When Wichser stepped in, he like everyone else was blown away by Rodriguez's talent and sensibility, as well as the quality of his retailers and his success in the fragrance business (in 2012 the designer's signature scent was given the French Fragrance Foundation's Fifi award for being the "best feminine fragrance of the past 20 years" even though it is only 10 years old).
WSJ: Narciso Rodriguez's Life in Fashion