MELBOURNE: The Victorian capital is now officially buzzing with anticipation following the inauguration of upcoming L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival (LMFF) 2007.

NATIONAL: Australian designers looking to penetrate the UK market can expect a bevy of ripe opportunities to surface in coming months.

MELBOURNE: It is a truth universally known that standout fashion design talent is nothing without a sizeable dollop of business nous.

Elena Miro was making headlines long before the furore over skinny models erupted at Madrid Fashion Week in 2006.

Accessories brand Oroton has released its first advertising campaign with new Sydney-based creative agency Studio Woo.

Bernini shirts has sewn its last button.

SYDNEY: Monique Alamedine would never dream of buying any item of clothing she hadn't tried on.

NATIONAL: Their cricket team's hopes of success may have been hit for six but plans by two English labels to make their mark in Australia appear right on target.

A new label designed to take women from couch to pillow looks set to epitomise the expression "better in than out".

Tracey McEldowney speaks with three fashion recruiters about the less talked aspects of placing candidates into jobs.

TITLE Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century, Volume 1: 18th and 19th Century & Volume 2: 20th Century

It has a name. It is called karma. And after all my bleating last edition about how great a year 2007 was shaping up to be, it has taken a massive bite out of my massive bum just when I least expected it.

The Blundstone blunder

Baring it all It seems the general public just can't get enough of watching the guts and glory that is Australian Fashion.

Its conception was during a chance meeting during a ski trip to Aspen and its key decision-makers count just three.

As the Federal Government's trade policies push more and more TCF manufacturing offshore, Samantha Docherty looks at how manufacturing, wholesale and retail roles have emerged or changed as a result.