SYDNEY: Fifteen students and two lecturers from Sydney's Raffles College of Design and Commerce have commenced a 19 day study tour of Italy.

SYDNEY: Between the Flags (BTF) has unveiled plans for a dramatic retail expansion. The beach and lifestyle outfitter will open five new stores this year, adding to five already opened in Fremantle, Perth, Noosa, Cairns and Bondi over the past 12 months.

Private branding MELBOURNE: The evolution of private labels will be up for discussion at an upcoming seminar hosted by the Australian Centre for Retail Studies (ACRS).

Champion Australasia will take the lead from its international parent company this season, launching a series of new marketing campaigns and adding several fresh product categories to its portfolio.

MELBOURNE: A hero from a faraway land has pledged to take up the age-old quest for the ultimate jean. Hailing from South Africa, Clague jeans are the newest entrant into the Australian high-end denim market.

Finally the patience of many a long-suffering Australian fashionista has been rewarded. Svelte dress designer Leona Edmiston is being heralded as the new champion of voluptuous women everywhere after becoming one of the first high-profile Australian brands to extend her size range beyond the traditional 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 favoured by the majority of the fashion design fraternity.

European womenswear label Dada & Co has created a new benchmark for labels debuting at trade fair Fashion Exposed, having secured 140 national accounts in just three days.

NATIONAL: A spat between one of Australia's leading design houses and a prominent beauty brand has again thrust the murky area of third party intellectual (IP) property into the spotlight.

SYDNEY: One of the most influential players in Australia's intimate apparel market has announced an initiative aimed at rewarding the little guys.

Asda announcement UNITED KINGDOM: George, the inhouse fashion brand of supermarket chain Asda has declared war on competitors Tesco and Marks & Spencer by claiming it will be the number one supermarket clothing retailer by the end of this year.

Iconic Australian frock designer Leona Edmiston has broken with tradition. The Sydney-based wholesaler and retailer has extended her size offering for autumn/winter 2008 to accommodate women between 16 - 24.

SYDNEY: What do you call a label that fuses European styling with Australian sensibilities? Louis & Barry.

SYDNEY: The new proprietors of New Zealand swimwear brand Moontide have announced a series of operational investments in a bid to boost the company's Australasian profile.

NATIONAL: The fashion division of online social networking phenomenon MySpace has a mission. MySpace Fashion Australia aims to unite the Australian fashion industry through its first 'offline' event on April 17.

"We are trying to create a luxury brand and don't see Le Tan products as a luxury brand association."

MELBOURNE: Worldwide online forecasting and trend reporting specialist Stylesight has made its first foray into the Australian market.