Business

Briefs

Genae branch out MELBOURNE: Genae has taken the bold step to introduce its innovative range of menswear to a larger audience.

MELBOURNE: French womenswear label Cacharel is expected to expand its wholesale presence in the Australian market, following an exclusive agreement with luxury distributor Aesthetics Group.

The hardest call

Plummeting consumer spending has claimed its first high-profile fashion victim through Noni B's La Voca retail chain. It doesn't take a genius to deduce it's unlikely to be the last.

NATIONAL: Textile, clothing and footwear funding enhancements, ethical and environmental manufacturing, skills upgrades and a tariff review have emerged as key issues in submissions to the federal government's TCF Review.

Global Vibes

US Top Shop UNITED KINGDOM: The man behind high street retailer Top Shop has targeted sales of between £15 million ($A31.3 million) and £20 million ($A41.7 million) for the chain's first US branch.

MELBOURNE: On the cusp of launching a fully organic range, bodywear label Mesop is taking on the world in more ways than one.

MELBOURNE: As the September edition of Fashion Exposed & Preview draws near, two new exhibitors claim to focus on hot clothing in more ways than one.

SYDNEY:Japanese-inspired womenswear retailer Nobue is set to branch out into the wholesale market.

Sham contracting among some employers in the textiles, clothing and footwear sector means outworkers continue to be abused, according to documents tendered to the federal government earlier this month.

Overheard

"It is the key to securing high-wage, high-skilled jobs now and in the future".

MELBOURNE: The Australian Shoe Fair (ASF) will put its best environmental foot forward this September with a raft of new eco-friendly exhibitors.

NATIONAL: Pay day has come early for more than 70 textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) businesses across the country after the federal government dished out $2.5 million in funding earlier this month.

MELBOURNE: Initial stages of a sweeping re-vamp at Westfield Doncaster opened this month, in a move claimed to set new direction in suburban shopping centre design.

United We Stand

In an industry that places a premium on youth, it's often experience that translates into serious dollars. Fashion brand management firm United Front is a case in point, as Assia Benmedjdoub discovers.

<p>NATIONAL: A new website looks set to place fashion addicts in extreme peril. Open 24 hours a day, online fashion destination Frockaholics will feature over 50 Australian and international brands during its first season online, including Willow and Alex Perry exclusively. Other featured brands will include Manning Cartell, Miss Sixty, C&amp;M Swim, Bettina Liano, Thurley, Life With Bird, DVB Denim, Diesel, Santos Wish, Sretsis, Wayne Cooper and Gary Bigeni.</p>

MELBOURNE: Iconic fashion and lifestyle retailer Country Road has anounced a strong sales performance for the second half and full year periods&nbsp;to June 30&nbsp;2008, advising it now anticipates a materially higher profit before tax than last year's for both periods, with sales in the second half up 11 per cent, having risen 21.9 per cent for the whole year.