NATIONAL: Growth in the Australian fashion wholesale sector will be constrained by the trend for larger retailers to source directly from manufacturers, a leading industry expert has predicted.

There's obviously still enough profit left in wool growing to maintain powerful marketing oganisations, recently two, now merged into one called Australian Wool Innovation.

Centre opens @ fashion heartland Kangan Batman TAFE's new Centre of Fashion @ Richmond (COFAR) officially launched late last month.

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Poor marketing management is not a problem restricted only to new designers starting out in the fashion game. Even those who own established textile, clothing and footwear businesses often fall into the trap of either not allocating enough funding to promote their company or pouring good money after bad in an attempt to get wider brand recognition.

As anyone who has not been living under a stone washed denim misapprehension knows, two plummy gals from Up Over have revolutionised the world of feminine style.

In a shaky economy effective marketing is the key to fashion business success. Serena Berine takes a look at how to make your own luck by being smart about marketing programs.

It's now more important than ever that your marketing delivers sales for your business. Matthew Nolan shares some useful tips on how to maximise your returns for every marketing dollar invested in your fashion business.

Belinda Smart talks to a current and former fashion student from Queensland's Metropolitan South Institute of Tafe (MSIT) about making their mark in fashion.

Every edition, Ragtrader talks to a previously profiled brand about how it has developed in the intervening years. This week, Assia Benmedjdoub caught up with Australian designer Sally Smith.

This week we reveal the new look Unzipped column. To celebrate its relaunch we begin by introducing you to the team behind Ragtrader. First up is Kate Kerrin, the magazine's new national sales manager.

Like many independent store operators, Fay Eakin believes serial discounting is the scourge of modern retail. Particularly in regional Australia, where the battle for the dollar gets tougher with every drought and petrol price hike.

NATIONAL: More than 70 small business owners are celebrating today (June 11) after winning a share of a $2.5 million jackpot offered as part of the federal government's Textile, Clothing and Footwear Small Business Program. Victorian label Tiffany Treloar, Queensland-headquartered company Vanguard Clothing and high-end Sydney designer Kirrily Johnston were among the winners, receiving grants of $45,000, $20,000 and $47,000 respectively for projects ranging from new supply chain partnerships to developing sustainable business operations.

<p>MELBOURNE: Flying in the face of current economic belt-tightening, it seems shopping centres have decided to pull out all the stops to seduce consumers, with Melbourne Central the latest to join the fray. The month of June will see the centre offering shoppers the ultimate antidote to retail fatigue with an initiative dubbed &quot;Too Indulgent&quot;. Describing Too Indulgent as &quot;an array of multi-sensory temptations&quot;, a Melbourne Central spokesperson said shoppers would encounter &quot;an atmosphere of baroque opulence and sleek sophistication,&quot; as they arrived on level two of the centre.</p>

<p>NATIONAL: Australian womenswear designer Jayson Brunsdon has blasted the anti-mulesing campaign waged by global animal rights movement People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as misguided. The Sydney-based designer, who has a strategic partnership with wool promotion body Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), said ongoing boycotting initiatives by PETA were unnecessary because the industry had already agreed to ban mulesing by 2010. </p>

SYDNEY: Shopping Centre AMP Capital is set to put Australian shopping habits under the spotlight&nbsp;during a business luncheon next week. The &nbsp;company, which operates such centres as Sydney's Warringah Mall, Melbourne's Gateway Plaza and Christchruch's The Palms, has put together a lively panel in an attempt to dissect where shopping &quot;mall-style&quot; is headed.