Billabong flagship

SYDNEY: Surf apparel and accessory company Billabong has opened a flagship store in the Corso shopping area in Manly. The innovative store fitout features five flat panel television screens, larger than life surfing wall displays and warm down lighting. The store stocks the label's full men's and womenswear collections ranging from boardshorts and eveningwear to surfboards and accessories.

:MDFI goes Central
MELBOURNE: The Melbourne Design and Fashion Incubator - a not-for-profit organisation that assists emerging designers in launching their labels - has opened two concept stores at Melbourne Central shopping centre. The Collection will house a suite of emerging Melbourne labels, and will kick of with a range dedicated to the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Next door The Hatchery will be dedicated to a single MDFI label, men's and women's boutique brand Lenko.

:Pac Brands
MELBOURNE: Pacific Brands has acquired the Australian and international operations of linen company Sheridan (Sheridan) from CHAMP Private Equity. It is believed Pac Brands paid in excess of $61.8 million for the company, which includes iconic brands Sheridan and Actil.

:Walker sunnies
NEW ZEALAND: Renowned New Zealand designer Karen Walker has launched a range of sunglasses. The 27-piece collection is being manufactured in partnership with eyewear specialist Sunshades Eyewear, which also produces sunglasses for Oroton and Tsubi. The Karen Walker specs are priced at $280 a pair and available nationally from this month (October) through selected eyewear boutiques and department stores. Plans include extending the range to offer standard frames as well as sunnies.

:Melbourne confidential
MELBOURNE: The history of Melbourne's fashion industry has received a colourful and humorous examination in the form of a recently released book by Melbourne author Lesley Sharon Rosenthal. Titled "Schmattes" - which means "rags" in Yiddish - the book spans four generations and details every aspect of Melbourne's rag trade, from the birth of early designer labels such as Hartnell of Melbourne to rise of the king of pantyhose Leon Worth. It also reminisces on the "good old days" of Melbourne's one-time manufacturing hub Flinders Lane, "where business was done with a handshake and it was not uncommon for to refer clients to "friendly" competitors.

:DJs battens hatches
SYDNEY: Financial discipline has helped David Jones post a 19 per cent jump in annual net profit. The department store group announced an annual net profit of $77.86 million for 2004/05, up from $65.32 million in the previous year. The result, in line with expectations, was underpinned by a 1.7 per cent increase in annual sales to $1.79 billion, announced last month. David Jones CEO Mark McInnes said the company had experienced challenging retail conditions in the second half of 2004/05 yet had managed to survive by "focusing on cost efficiencies program, tight inventory management and rigorous management of capital expenditure".