Great Fit
SYDNEY: Esprit Australia has introduced a new fit system in its Collection suiting range to make fitting and purchasing the label's pants easier. The design and styling of the Collection suit pants will change from season to season - pockets, belt loops, fabrics and detailing will alter, however the fit will remain the same. Hitting stores in December, the new labels will be sewn onto the outside of the pant. Esprit Women's Casual will also introduce the new labeling system in the New Year, with different names and redesigned labels.
PR festival
MELBOURNE: L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival has ditched public relations firm The Arc Factory in favour of rival Ann Morrison PR. AMPR, which also holds the accounts for fashion labels TL Wood, Zu Shoes, Declic and Fun Fashion Accessories, returns to the helm after a four-year break having managed the PR campaigns for the 1997 to 2001 festivals.
Indian fair
MUMBAI: Intex, India's first international apparel fabric and accessories trade fair took place in Mumbai from October 10 to 12. The fair - which will take place bi-annually to showcase seasonal merchandise - included participants from Italy, France, Peru, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Taiwan, Pakistan, China, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. Indian companies also utilised the inaugural expo to showcase their product to buyers from the sub-continent, South Asia, the Far East, the Middle East and Europe. The launch of Intex also coincided with the worldwide release of UK-published magazine Fashion Forecast, which will showcase design talent from around the world. For more: intexfair.com
Celebrity favourite
MELBOURNE: Myer has unveiled a television advertising campaign for the Melbourne Spring Racing carnival featuring US actress and Desperate Housewives' star Eva Longoria. Longoria will also be a special guest at the Myer Marquee on Derby Day and will judge the women's classic racewear during the Myer Fashions on the Field competition. Myer managing director Dawn Robertson described the star as "young, sexy and fun" and a perfect face for Myer's Spring Racing campaign.
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.