The White House says President Obama supports a bill to give states more authority to collect sales tax from Internet retailers. White House spokesman Jay Carney says the Senate bill would level the playing field for small businesses and brick-and-mortar retailers that are undercut by online companies. Carney says that governors and mayors have overwhelmingly told the White House the bill is needed. He says states are losing out on revenue that could go to education, law enforcement, infra

Ralph Lauren Corp. has agreed to pay $1.6 million to resolve allegations that it bribed government officials in Argentina to get customs clearance for its merchandise. The Securities and Exchange Commission said Monday that the clothing maker reported the violations itself after they were discovered. The New York company agreed to pay $735,000 to the SEC and $882,000 to the Department of Justice as part of a parallel investigation. According to the Justice Department, the manager of Ralph

Next has become the third largest British retailer for market value at 6.9 billion pounds. Earlier this year the company reported a 15 percent hike in earnings per share and dividend for their investors. This weekend, Next’s stock market value was 6.9 billion pounds, behind Sainsbury’s 7.1 billion pounds and Tesco’s 29 billion pounds, reported ‘Daily Mail’. A surge in the share price of fashion retailer Next has made it Britain’s third-biggest retailer. Earlier this month Next announced that i

Hermès has reported its first quarter financial report for the three months ended March 31, 2013. Sales grew 12.8 percent at constant exchange rates and 10.3 percent at current exchange rates. Revenue also grew 12.8 percent. Revenues from wholesale channels grew 9.9 percent at constant exchange rates. Hermès International did not buy back any of its own shares during the first quarter of 2013, other than shares traded under the liquidity contract. In the first quarter, growth was dynamic in all

With Mother’s Day only few weeks away, Giorgio Armani and Holt Renfrew have teamed up to launch a limited edition baby blanket in support of Free the Children, the international charity that supports millions of children and families around the world in developing communities. This is the latest in a long line of charity collaborations with some of today’s leading designers, most recently with Missoni and Tory Burch. Exclusively designed for Holt Renfrew, it will be sold for a limited time only

Rosa Clara gave a preview of her 2014 wedding collections at the 15th Miami Fashion Week and won the "Bridal Designer of the Year" award. She also celebrated the opening of her 150th Rosa Clara store, 365 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, Miami, while her company Grupo Rosa Clara announced six years of consistent growth. It's hardly surprising that the Miami Herald called her "The Spanish Vera Wang." To make an appointment, brides-to-be can find a local store at www.rosaclarabridal.com by clicking

UKFT Rise hosted its latest event at Facebook’s London head office. Joined by both retail and design speakers, Nick Hollingworth and Christopher Raeburn, the event was held to inspire young people working their way up the fashion ladder. Head of fashion, luxury and retail for Facebook Tracy Yaverbaun spoke about the opportunities for fashion across social media and there was also an insightful Q&A session with the CEO of Austin Reed Nick Hollingworth. Hollingworth spoke about the chang

The newly unveiled structure of the Museum of Costume and Textile of Québec (MCTQ), which is opening its doors for the normal visitors from April 19, 2013, is hosting an inaugural exhibition featuring some of the masterpieces from the museum’s collection of 7,000 antique costume pieces. Titled as ‘Tapis rouge: Fashion at the Museum’, the expo, which will run till October 6, 2013, will feature haute couture gowns from the famous couturiers of all times, including Schiaparelli, Jean Patou, Thie

A grey coloured suit, worn by the famous Beatles member John Lennon in the British black-and-white comedy film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, has gone under the hammer at the Saráchaga auction house, located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The slim fitting Alpaca wool made jacket, which fetched a whopping amount of $ 200,000, features the label tag of ‘Tailoring Guild DA Millings & Son’ along with the stamp of the legendary English musician’s first name, John. The auctioned suit was originally a pa

More than eighteen Vietnamese and international designers are going to present their latest Autumn/Winter 2013 collections at the bi-annual event Vietnam Fashion Week, scheduled to take place in the country’s capital city of Hanoi. Beginning April 19, 2013, the three-day-long event will feature a traditional hand-knit collection from the leading local talent Vu Viet Ha. Drawing inspiration from the images of northern mountainous region people, the designer has created ensembles with mater