Shirt sharp shift

KINGSGROVE: Wholesaling and importing company Green Season Enterprises is set to undergo a name change. From June 01, the Kingsgrove-based company will trade under the name The Shirt Company. It is understood Ken Quin will remain on manager while the company and the business location and contact phone number will also remain unchanged. Current labels stocked by the company include Mattino and Luciano Rossi. For more: 02 9554 8668.

Ksubi knight
SYDNEY: Cult denim label Ksubi (formerly Tsubi) has taken on the founder of Quiksilver Europe as a private investor in the hope he will help turn the fledging label into a global fashion brand. Multi millionaire Harry Hodge has been named executive chairman of the brand in exchange for buying a minority share in the label for an undisclosed sum. It is understood the move will allow Ksubi founders Dan Single and George Gorrow to return to the creative side of the business while Hodge will be responsible for growing the label's international market share. For more: 02 8303 1472

Retail sales up
NATIONAL: Department stores have been the big winners in a surge in retail spending in the first three months of this year. Retail trade figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics earlier this month showed sales volumes jumped by 2 per cent in the first quarter of 2007, driven largely by strong growth in the apparel category. The figures showed Victoria and
Queensland had the strongest trend growth for the period. For more: abs.gov.au

Added bags
MELBOURNE: The organisers of bi-annual footwear fair The Australian Shoe Fair have announced plans to introduce the leather, bags and accessories segment into its Melbourne installment. The inclusion of the segment, introduced for the first time during the Sydney fair in March, means the August fair will be more than 40 per cent larger than the last shoe fair staged in the Victorian capital. Timed to sit within the busy international buying calendar, the fair will take place August 12 to 14 and is expected to play host to more than 3000 visitors. For more: australianshoefair.com.

Seconds count
NATIONAL: Swiss-based watchmaker Wenger has released a limited edition watch in the name of iconic organisation Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA). The move, which follows Wenger's naming as the official watch supplier for the charity, is designed to celebrate the association's 100th year of service. Built to meet the challenging conditions of the Australian surf, the watch features water resistance to 200 meters, precision Swiss movement, and is fitted with scratch resistant mineral crystal glass. The SLSA collection by Wenger also includes a limited edition authentic Swiss Army knife bearing the organisation's logo and symbolic red and yellow colours. Retail price points range from $275 for the black, yellow or red band to $295 for the full metal version. For more: wenger.net.au