The global style spotlight swings to Milan on Saturday, September 20th where fashion week kicks off with more than 90 spring-summer 2009 collections to be sent out, highlighted by the much-awaited debut of Gianfranco Ferre's designer duo.

The catwalks are humming and buyers are still trawling the stands at London Fashion Week, but behind the scenes luxury clothing retailers are considering the knock-on effects of a global financial crisis.

Zara owner Inditex said on Wednesday that Spain was "slightly below average" compared to its other markets. The retailer was asked on an analyst call about how the consumer downturn in Spain was affecting it.

She fills two converted bedrooms with clothes -- one for casual and a second for glam -- and staying organized worked for singer Fergie who on Wednesday made People magazine's 2008 list of best dressed women.

How do you take a 155-year-old raincoat maker with a staid image and transform it into a global luxury fashion and retail force? The answer, according Aquascutum President and CEO Kim Winser, is to market the heritage, modernise the clothes into objects of desire for sophisticated consumers, reach out to international markets and branch into accessories.

Europe's biggest clothing retailer Inditex said on Wednesday it saw "no significant risks or uncertainties" for the second half as it reported a 3 percent rise in net profit to 406 million euros.

Representatives from New York, London, Milan and Paris reached a deal Tuesday that will secure London Fashion Week's place at the heart of the style calendar, the British Fashion Council said.

Fashion designer Paul Smith brought a taste of the Orient to London Fashion Week on Monday as wet-haired models draped in white silks and dressed in turbans conjured a post-hammam look on the catwalk.

British fashion retailer Jaeger followed the success of its first show in February with an airy display of colour and a hint of vintage in its Spring/Summer 2009 collection at London Fashion Week on Monday.

Fashion favourite Luella Bartley dazzled audiences with jarring, psychedelic colours, while London's Jaeger presented a collection that mixed fitted with floaty pieces on Monday at London Fashion Week.

By Amie Ferris-Rotman and Catherine de Pury MOSCOW (Reuters Life!) - Fashion designer and ex-model Daria Zhukova opened a new art gallery in an avant garde Moscow bus shelter on Tuesday, attended by her Russian billionaire boyfriend Roman Abramovich.

New Zealand children's clothing maker and retailer Pumpkin Patch Ltd. on Wednesday reported a 28 percent fall in full year net profit, on the back of tough retail markets and higher costs. Net profit after tax for the year ended July 31 was NZ$17.

Welsh fashion designer and celebrity favourite Julien Macdonald stunned audiences at London Fashion Week on Monday evening with a safari-inspired collection combining 1940s Hollywood glamour and 1970s disco chic.

India's faction-ridden and highly competitive fashion industry is getting ready for four rival fashion weeks this season to showcase the country's talent, designers say.

London Fashion Week got under way Sunday with seasoned Irish designer Paul Costelloe presenting his spring-summer 2009 collection, but the event faces a battle for survival.