<p>MELBOURNE: A new footwear brand looks set to take the 'frumpy' orthotic footwear market by storm. Bared Footware - created by podiatrist Anna Baird - promises women a range of shoes designed to accommodate orthoses but fashionable enough to cater to trend conscious consumers.</p>

<p>NEW ZEALAND: Trelise Cooper has been ordered to pay nearly NZ$200,000 (around A$160,000) to an aggrieved former supplier. The renowned Kiwi fashion designer - who operates seven stores including two outlet shops across Australasia, as well as a thriving wholesale business - has been given a deadline of August 1 to pay NZ$184,877 to Cooper Watkinson Textiles, a company formerly co-owned by her husband Jack Cooper.</p>

MELBOURNE: Heritage sportswear brand Lacoste has stitched together a multi-million dollar corporate sponsorship deal with organisers of the Australian Open. Tennis Australia has confirmed the French apparel company will join luxury watch brand Rolex and sports giant Nike as an official supplier, ahead of the Melbourne Park grand slam in January.

<p>SYDNEY: Australian designer Cristina Nitopi has revealed plans to present her latest collection at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) in September. It is understood the Sicilian-blooded designer's fashion show will be held on Sunday, September 7 in the Majestic Ballroom of the Westin Times Square Hotel, at the centre of the New York scene.</p>

<p>NATIONAL: Austin Group investors are breathing a sigh of relief, following news the embattled wholesaler has received some much needed financial backing. Administrators for Hawkswood Investments, an Opes Prime subsidiary that was issued $6 million worth of Austin Group convertible notes late last year, has reached a financial agreement with&nbsp; investment group Albany Capital Investors. <br /></p>

<p>SYDNEY: To stay at the forefront of the retailing game, industry members must raise the bar on responding to customer expectations, trends and challenges, while maintaining back-of-house costs during challenging economic times. This is the message that will be conveyed at the&nbsp;National Retail Forum, scheduled to take place&nbsp;in the NSW capital on August 12 and 13.</p>

<p>MELBOURNE: Lingerie brand Kayser is poised to launch an innovative reversible bra, featuring two black and nude options in one garment. Dubbed the Flip Bra and to be launched through Myer in July, the bra is also expected to be stocked in specialist stores across Australia. </p>

MELBOURNE: Australian streetwear brand Mooks is set to take on one of Europe's leading trade fairs with a unique branding concept. The Melbourne headquartered brand, which is confirmed to participate at Argentina's Bread and Butter fair from July 2 to 4, will present a new visual phenomenon developed by Sydney artist Andy Uprock.

MELBOURNE: Members of the public and industry could soon be stepping over thresholds of select fashion studios, with the promise of a behind-the-scenes look at the design industry for one day next month. The Studio Open day, part of the Melbourne International Design Festival, will see fashion businesses of varying sizes and disciplines open their doors on Friday July 25.<br />

SYDNEY: Fashion journalist Patty Huntington, Farage founder Joe Farage and eveningwear buff Matthew Eager will take to the stage at Fashion Group International's autumn/winter 2008/09 conference. The bi-annual event, which includes an audiovisual presentation on trends from the European and American ready-to-wear collections, will kick off in Sydney on July 29 and follow in Melbourne on July 30.

<p>SUNSHINE COAST: Department store giant Myer has admitted it will bring forward its $6 million Sunshine Plaza refurbishment program to better compete with its chief rival.&nbsp;Myer CEO Bernie Brookes said the revamp would commence as early as next year, following news David Jones would spend $15 million on its own 14,000sqm site at the plaza. </p>

<p>SYDNEY: Bracewell has appointed a new head designer. English national Hailey Killigrew, who previously worked for Jigsaw Australia, has moved across to the Surry Hills headquartered womenswear brand with a view to infusing it with her &quot;feminine but quirky&quot; aesthetic, as a spokesperson for the brand confirmed.</p>

<p>MELBOURNE: Local label Coquette Red has made its first foray into the export market by launching into New Zealand. The Melbourne-based brand - which specialises in &quot;reasonably priced&quot; handbags under $250 as well as a jewellery line - has sealed a deal with Dunedin department store Arthur Barnett and lifestyle chain Redcurrent, which operates nine stores across New Zealand.</p>

<p>SYDNEY:Emerging fashion designers in New South Wales are set to reap the benefits of a new scholarship valued at $18,000. The 2008 Design NSW Travelling Scholarship - developed in partnership with the State Government, the Powerhouse Museum and the British Council - will include $18,000 in financial support for an overseas development program and the chance to meet with leading fashion designers in the UK.</p>

NATIONAL: New Zealand apparel company Ezibuy believes Australian sales can help increase the company's turnover by more than $40 million over the next three years. The Kiwi brand, which this year celebrates its 30th birthday, currently produces around 40 catalogues each year mailed to a subscriber base of more than 500,000 across New Zealand and Australia.

<p>INTERNATIONAL: The Australian Merino Woolmark Prize, which launches in Paris next month (July) has appointed French knitwear designer Sonia Rykiel as its official patron. An initiative of wool promotion body Australian Wool Innovation, the prize was created to reward creativity in Merino wool, with judging to commence in July. </p>