When designers Romina Disisto and Anita Ukalovic returned from overseas in 2004, they found a gaping hole in the footwear market. Frantic research and designing followed, and BelleBika footwear was born, writes Belinda Smart.

Belinda Smart talks to a current and former fashion student from the RMIT University City Campus Bachelor of Design degree course about their sustainable career ambitions.

NAME: Ali Cotton

The phrase 'keep your friends close and your enemies even closer' doesn't sit well with retailers in Paddington - particularly those which specialise in vintage apparel and accessories.

<p>NATIONAL: Peak retail industry body the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is claiming the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)'s&nbsp;decision to cut the cash rate by one percentage point as welcome news for retailers. ARA executive director Richard Evans said the second cut in two months was great news for consumers, adding the effects should lead to a turn in consumer sentiment in time for Christmas.</p>

<p>MELBOURNE: Youthwear retailer General Pants will whip out all the bells and whistles for the launch of its flagship store next month. The Bourke Street site has been specially constructed to include a live entertainment area, a denim hub, a vertical garden and ten change rooms decked out with art installations from the likes of Ksubi, Mont La Roc, Natalie Wood (Something) and Georgie and Alex Cleary (Alpha 60).</p>

<p>MELBOURNE: The Victorian capital has been identified as a possible growth market for high end luxury brand Emporio Armani. The Italy-headquartered fashion house has recently secured its first site in Melbourne, with a new boutique in Collins Street set to open later next month. The new store, which will host a cocktail launch on November 25, covers two floors and occupies 280 square metres of space.</p>

The ongoing spectre of indecency in advertising has again reared its conservative head with two fashion businesses being hauled before the Advertising Standards Bureau last month.

The five most read news stories on ragtrader.com.au in the past two weeks.

Hat here WAGGA WAGGA: Some of the world's best milliners will again be descending into the country for the second annual International Millinery Forum.

SYDNEY: Cult label Cassette Society has sought to take greater control of its operations, producing a new denimwear line, moving its production offshore and expanding into retail.

And so after an agonising six-month waiting process Professor Roy Green has finally exposed to us his little bag of tricks.

Fashion and footwear retailer Diana Ferrari has failed in its bid to prevent a trade mark application by European automotive giant Ferrari.

NATIONAL: The TCF Review's recommendations for an assistance overhaul to foster innovative capability have triggered industry debate on how funding should best be deployed.

Fashion weeks' proposal MILAN: The organisers of New York, London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks have done a deal guaranteeing New York a later start and London a five-day schedule.

After more than 40 years spent sourcing clothes for some of Australia's most fashionable women buyer Maria Finlay is hanging up her chequebook.