Skill shortages, downsizing and a small talent pool means fashion recruiters are working harder than ever to earn their crust. Tracey Porter talks to three firms to find out what changes within the industry will be keeping them awake in the next 12 months.

Every edition Ragtrader takes stock of a previously profiled brand to see how it has evolved over a five year period. This issue Tracey Porter caught up with Sarah Charlton, marketing manager for sportswear label Brooks.

Exclusivity is crucial to the success of any independent fashion retailer - no more so than in regional Australia. When you've got a shopping strip that can be covered in a matter of hours - and a modest population to boot - a unique stable of brands is imperative to capturing local foot traffic.

NATIONAL: Australian swimwear brand Seafolly has entered an unlikely market in its bid to become an export powerhouse. The Sydney-headquartered company, with support from Government export agency Austrade, has just broken into Poland with buyers around the country flocking to attend a showcase staged in Warsaw.

<p>NATIONAL: Underwear brand Bonds is set to join the ranks of Jockey and fashion identities Trinny and Susannah in launching a new range of shapewear. The collection, dubbed Shapers, are modelled on styles from the 1970s to offer a rnage that flattens and evens out shape.</p>

Sydney designer Kirrily Johnston had credited her strong affinity with Kiwi design as the reason she agreed to become the first Australian label to stage a runway show at Air New Zealand Fashion Week (ANZFW).

Keeping green BRISBANE: The Queensland Menswear and Tailors annual charity Golf Day, founded in 1946, was held late last month at Nudgee Golf Course in Brisbane.

SYDNEY:Celebrity milliner Donny Galella has set his sights below the hairline. The Sydney-based designer, who currently supplies seasonal headwear collections to national department store Myer and has a regular styling segment on the Seven Network's Sunrise program, is planning to capitalise on growing demand for tailored menswear apparel.

It is often said that the first casualty of war is truth. However in the case of the Australian TCF industry it is not honesty that has gone by the wayside but the ability to speak altogether.

NATIONAL: Australian designers have been forced to re-evaluate their pricing strategies in the wake of tougher trading conditions, an industry forum has revealed. Global economic uncertainty was at the forefront of a panel discussion at Fashion Group International's biannual trade seminar last month.

NATIONAL: Fashion retailers are expected to keep a nervous vigil on domestic ports tonight as the Beijing Olympic Games kick into full gear.

Desigual dust up SPAIN: Barcelona-headquartered label Desigual has denied claims it plagiarised designer Custo Dalmau's designs.

MELBOURNE: Department store Myer has been forced to shut sections of its Bourke Street site in a bid to meet its refurbishment deadline. A post on the store's dedicated revamp website http://www.mynewmyermelbourne.com.au revealed stage two of the planned restructure - designed to create a world class retail experience - had been "hastened" to ensure it would be complete by the end of 2009.

Listed retailer Just Group continues to flout Premier Investments' hostile bid, with a recent trading update posting "solid" results following the release of an ambitious strategic plan.

A New South Wales businessman who attempted to get a $2.4 million bill from his supplier overturned has had his case thrown out of the New South Wales Supreme Court.

SYDNEY: Leisurewear label Leon Henry is set to venture into new territory. The Sydney-headquartered brand will release a womenswear line for the spring/summer 2008 season, less than 12 months after it first launched its menswear collection into the wholesale market.