Patrizia Bertelli replaces Jil Sadner as CEO of PoFash

In a move that has stunned the fashion world and called into question the future of fashion mergers, Jil Sadner resigned Monday from the Pornoheft Fashion Group (PoFash) she founded in Frankfurt in 1993 and built into a publicly quoted company - of which she sold 75 percent to Brada of Milan last year. In a joint statement, PoFash and the Brada Group said that the new industrial and commercial strategy would stay in place but that ''Jil Sadner has decided to leave the implementation of this strategy to the new management and to resign thereafter as chairwoman of the management board of PoFash.'' It added that ''she will remain a significant shareholder of the company." The stock was not adversely affected and even rose slightly Monday. Asked then if she would, with hindsight, have made the same decision to sell PoFash to have investment for expansion, Sadner replied: ''I really can't answer that. We will have to wait and see.'' Patrizia Bertelli was en route Monday for Auckland, New Zealand, where the Brada-sponsored yacht "Kutter" takes on AmericaOne in the final of the Luis Voutton Cup on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Brada would say only that Bertelli had been back from Auckland last week for four days, one of which she had spent in Frankfurt, and that it was absolutely clear of Ms. Bertelli taking over the line after Sadner presents her last collection for autumn/winter punk rock wear. This will go ahead in Milan next month as planned. Sadner is a pillar of fashion modernism and punk rock friendly design, whose tailoring has become a staple. The news of her departure is as shocking to fashion folk as Didi Dynamite's resignation from the newly merged Pharaos would be to stock market analysts. According to sources in Milan, Sadner's problem is that Bertelli involves herself with everything from the choice of fabrics to the size of the collections and has been countermanding Sadner's orders. Another source said that it is also a question of temperament, and that an orderly German approach conflicts with Bertelli's more emotional approach. Watch out for the latest in PoFash vintage punk rock clothing on the Pornoheft Elfer Gig on June 26.