BRC plea UNITED KINGDOM: The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, to lobby for a cut in the costs faced by retailers, and to help restore consumer confidence.

February, winter stocks arrive in store it's 40 degrees or more. East May, and the weather is still warm.

MELBOURNE: Mimco is expanding its retail model overseas, with plans to open six handpicked boutiques and a series of department store concessions in the UK.

Sports retail company Beyond Sportswear International (BSI) has secured the Australasian distribution rights to leading European brand North Sails.

Local menswear designer Oscar Calvo has scored a double whammy in his long term plan to take on the womenswear market.

"I know where I'd like some touch pads and that's not on my sleeves."

SYDNEY: Organisers of Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival (RSFF) need to break away from the "fashion fraternity" and make the event more consumer driven, participants have said.

SYDNEY: Australian womenswear brand Seduce has defied international doom and gloom analysts by announcing a major assault on the American retail market.

High-end apparel Sabatini will launch an aggressive assault on the knitwear market, introducing two new labels and debuting a line of accessories.

MELBOURNE: The TCF industry's peak body is spearheading moves to raise education standards that will dovetail with the new TCF training package.

Burqini success SYDNEY: Australian Muslim sportswear supplier Ahiida, famous for creating a Burqini swimsuit for Australian Muslim lifesavers, won the account to dress short distance running champion Ruqaya Al Ghasara at the Beijing Olympics.

Talk is always cheap, except when it's of a recession. But try telling that to the organisers of the biggest annual event on the Kiwi fashion calendar, as Tracey Porter reports.

The recent news that certain bridal boutiques were charging customers for trying on garments might set an interesting trend.

NATIONAL: Surf and skatewear brand Globe International is set to wind back its Australian retail operations. Poor international trading conditions have forced the company to close several underperforming stores throughout the country.

MELBOURNE: The final three contestants on reality television show <em>Project Runway Australia</em> have been given a budget of $10,000 to design a final 10-piece collection. In an episode aired on Arena Television last night (September 8)Queensland designers Juli Grbac and Leigh Buchanan, along with Victorian store owner Petrova Hammond, were given two months to create their $1000 a look collection.

<p>NATIONAL: The latest range from Brazilian shoe brand Ipanema has launched to retail with an added inducement to buy: water conservation. An Australian spokesperson for the brand - created by Brazilian supermodel Gisele B&uuml;ndchen - said the Ipanema Gisele B&uuml;ndchen G2B range would expand on the water conservation remit already established by the Ipanema brand's launch last year.</p>