The new designer at Emanuel Ungaro literally raced round the runway at the end of his warmly applauded show on Wednesday: he is, after all, only 23.

When young fashion designer Bill Ruterana was looking for inspiration and cheap material to make clothes in his native Rwanda, he found it sprouting under his feet.

The German fashion house Hugo Boss might appoint Hans Fluri as interim head of the company to replace chief executive Bruno Saelzer who stepped down last week, a press report said on Wednesday February 14th.

For the first time in nine years, British designer Vivienne Westwood presented a show at London Fashion Week by paying homage to young women from the 1970s who shopped in the neighbourhood where she first made a name for herself.

Museums and collectors on Thursday February 12th snapped up dozens of designer items fashioned a century ago by ground-breaking French stylist Paul Poiret, the man credited with emancipating women from the corset.

Fall-winter collections promise to be a flamboyant affair this year, with a designer as well known for his affinity to black as John Rocha, who opened the second day of London Fashion Week on Monday February 11th, having succumbed to luminous orange and bright pink.

American fashion designer Nanette Lepore on Wednesday presented her fall collection 2008 along with an appeal to save the garment industry which is faced with "extinction" due to rising development.

French designer Catherine Malandrino presented her collection at New York's Fashion Week using a palate of "artichoke" and "petrol" colors to finish her autumn-winter 2008 creations.

A Thai fabric designer has unveiled a new line of saffron-coloured robes infused with bug repellent to keep mosquitoes from biting Buddhist monks, a company announced Wednesday, January 30th.

Lebanon's Elie Saab is one of the designers with most reason to lament if the Oscars ceremony is cancelled over the screenwriters' dispute, as custom-made red carpet gowns form the core of his couture collection.

Christian Lacroix pulled off an exuberant tour de force with his summer haute couture collection on Tuesday January 22nd, which was a riot of colour and brimming with gowns in which to get noticed.

The Italian fashion designer Valentino confided Monday January 21th his biggest regret was not grooming a successor to take over his couture empire, as he prepared to mount his final catwalk show in Paris this week.

John Galliano's haute couture collection for Dior for next summer was a seductive invitation to the ball in the romantic setting of the Bois de Boulogne park in Paris.

Veteran Italian designer Valentino's final farewell to fashion will be the emotional high point of the haute couture shows for next spring-summer which begin on Monday 21st January.

Fur will be de rigueur for next winter's well-turned-out male, whether he is refined or goes for the bad-boy look, some of Italy's top designers decreed at Milan's catwalk presentations this week.