MELBOURNE: iconic workwear brand Hard Yakka has implemented a cause marketing drive on its core heritage childrenswear garment to drive sales and raise money for children's charity The Kids Foundation. For each sale of the "Kids Action Back Overall" - a mini version of Hard Yakka's iconic adult overalls - $1.50 will be donated to the foundation to support its work in the area of childhood injury prevention and recovery.

MELBOURNE: South Yarra's Chapel Street has been outed as the most expensive retail strip in the country. A report by real estate group Savills Research found shopkeepers pay an average of between $1400 and $1500 a square metre per site. The rate is in stark contrast with that of surrounding areas, with Toorak Road leasees paying 50 per cent less, averaging between $500 and $900 a square metre.

NATIONAL: Generation Y is reportedly surviving the global financial crisis unscathed, with a new study indicating they plan to spend more this Christmas than last year. A survey conducted by research firm Galaxy showed 37 per cent of consumers aged between 18 to 24 years would spend an average of $245 on their partners, $264 on a child, $65 on a friend and $220 on themselves. Over half of the respondents said they planned to pay for the purchases in cash.

NATIONAL: Wool research and promotion body Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) has engaged leading French style and innovation agency PeclersParis to provide colour and design trend direction for the registered Woolmark brand. Peclers' team of fashion experts and trend forecasters will this week begin working with Woolmark licensees to prepare a colour palette with yarn and fabric design direction for the 2010-11 Autumn/Winter retail season.

MELBOURNE: The newly opened Fame Agenda boutique at Melbourne Central shopping centre has hit celebrity pay dirt this week, clinching a deal to supply garments to the stylist  for renowned singer Tina Arena. Arena will be wearing pieces sourced directly from the Fame Agenda store on her current Australian tour, "Songs of Love and Loss 2".

<p>NATIONAL: Australian womenswear retailer Cue will adopt an aggressive discount strategy in the lead up to Christmas. It is understood the move is aimed at combatting weak consumer confidence, with Cue executives expecting other domestic retailers to follow suit. &quot;We sit at our computers and watch with horror at the falling Australian dollar,&quot; Cue founder Rod Levy told the <em>Australasian Textiles &amp; Fashion Magazine</em>. </p>

<p>MELBOURNE: The redevelopment of Westfield Doncaster shopping centre has been hailed as a success with the groups behind the project earlier than planned and under budget. Officially opened yesterday (October 16), the $600 million redevelopment has doubled the size of the centre to 120,000 square metres with the mall boasting around 420 stores.</p>

Wholesale-cum-retail label Metalicus has announced plans to roll out a further three flagship stores within the next six months. The brand, purchased earlier this year by Melbourne group PAS, opened the first of these in the Sydney Central Plaza with further launches set down for Perth and Melbourne.

SYDNEY: Swimwear brand Seafolly has purchased Queensland retailer Sunburnt underpinning a radical expansion of its existing retail portfolio. The acquisition, signed at the beginning of this month, will see the privately owned label take over all 12 of Sunburn's multi-brand stores.

NATIONAL: Embattled industry campaigners have welcomed a multi-million dollar proposal aimed at introducing a national sizing standard.

BRISBANE: The Textile Clothing and Footwear Association of Queensland (TCFAQ) has launched an urgent initiative to stem the tide of diminishing TCF skills across the state.

Name: Amanda George

Nothing brings out the worst in human behaviour than when the threat of a global recession really starts to hit home.

Bi-annual trade fair Fashion Exposed may have taken place in the midst of global financial turmoil, but organisers say there's much to be optimistic about following the Melbourne fair, as Belinda Smart reports.

A short time later he began production on his first samples, leading to the launch of the label at Fashion Exposed's March instalment. Macri has deliberately limited the range to less than 100 pieces per colour, to prevent consumers spotting someone else wearing the same piece.

Every so often, it seems, classic brands must reinvent themselves to maintain the rage. A jeans retailer tells me that Levis recently went through this process. With Levis it involved putting the broom through the range and hoicking out some apparently surplus staff at the same time.