<p>AUSTRALASIA: US jeans giant Levi's has unveiled a campaign designed to capture a new market for its iconic Levi's 501 jeans. According to a statement from parent company Levi Strauss &amp; Co. the campaign, titled 'Live Unbuttoned,' was its first ever global promotion and would capture the &quot;free-spirited and self-expressive attitude&quot; behind the button-fly 501 jeans. It is understood selected components of the campaign, which are yet to be confirmed, will air in the Australasian markets from September.</p>

The notorious BRW Rich List for 2008 has been published, but has given the schmutta business little to crow about. There are few people, it seems, who have acquired and hung on to serious wealth though textiles and clothing ventures.

No place like home Every designer worth their bathsalt has considered a venture into the homewares market - Italian ready-to-wear label Missoni has been capitalising on this sector since launching Missoni Home in 2004.

The newly-declared legalisation of hemp farming within NSW will go some way to meet growing demands for sustainable fibres and fabrics. But how, ask experts, can this promising fibre pave the way for a new TCF industry, when our manufacturing industry has already gone to pot? Melissa Gulbin reports.

Wool in fashion no longer holds the esteem it had in the 1960's through to the 1980's. Samantha Docherty looks at how the Australian wool industry hopes to overcome its lack of positioning in the apparel market.

Those involved in fibres and fabrics are involved in one of the most rapidly changing sectors of the TCF industry. Tracey Porter talks to four key players to uncover how they stay ahead of the game.

Well it finally happened. Like the proverbial bride-to-be preparing for her wedding night I'd been waiting and waiting, until I was almost borderline bonkers with anticipation, and then the moment arrived; I saw Sex and The City the movie. And boy what an anti climax.

Walk into a store like Grace and harsh reality - in the form of winter gloom and economic downturns - suddenly takes a back seat. Instead, as Belinda Smart discovered, life suddenly seems effortlessly stylish and cosmopolitan, which, argue Grace founders Georgia Danos and Ilana Moses, is what good retail is all about.

SYDNEY: An inability to hand over control has prompted graduate Sara Phillips to boldly tread where few students dare - out of the university gates and straight into her own business.

Belinda Smart talks to a current and former fashion student from the Northern Territory's Charles Darwin University about getting an industry foothold in one of Australia's more remote cities.

Each edition Ragtrader catches up with a previously profiled brand to see how it has evolved over a five year period. This issue Belinda Smart talked to Body founder Dainy Sawatzky

We recently revealed our new look Unzipped column. To celebrate its relaunch each week we will be introducing you to a member of the Ragtrader team. This week it's the turn of Assia Benmedjdoub, the magazine's Sydney journalist.

NATIONAL:Australian textile, clothing and footwear businesses are reportedly bracing for an onslaught of offshore competitors, as the Federal Government unleashes its next round of tariff reductions.

Fake Fuss FRANCE:Online auction site Ebay might be facing some heat from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission over its controversial Paypal-only payment system, but it is not getting much relief in Europe.

A Senate inquiry into the premature sexualisation of children in the media has dismissed the notion "inappropriate" tween clothing should be regulated by the government.

SYDNEY: Distribution and brand management company Krites has secured the exclusive Australasian rights to two new youth labels from the US.