Upmarket department store Harvey Nichols has escaped censure following complaints that a Christmas ad showing women doing the "walk of shame" was offensive and demeaning.

Model: Alicia at Ford

Couch potato

In a sign that the megawealthy keep on spending, Knightsbridge landmark Harvey Nichols has seen pre-tax profit before charitable donations soar38 per cent to nearly £16m.

Kelner's View

Sometimes it's hard to believe we are beset by deepening economic gloom. Here in London, it's well nigh impossible to get a table in a top restaurant, and the department stores are packed to bursting.

Model: Polly at Next

Mark Ravenhill, the controversial playwright with a talent for shocking audiences, was this week revealed as the new writer-in-residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Stratford may never be the same again. John Walsh imagines what the author of 'Shopping and Fucking' might do with the Bard's poetry

Harvey Nichols and Mulberry are in talks to open shops in the walkway to the Olympic stadium, in east London.

For students disappointed by their A-level results, it's not all bad news. Forgoing a degree was the making of Lisa Markwell. Here she explains why entering the world of work as a teenager was exhilarating and rewarding

Aquascutum is selling 100 Regent Street – its flagship for the past 110 years.

Victoria Beckham's handbag designer, Katie Hillier, is to launch her own high-end jeweller tomorrow to coincide with London Fashion Week and St Valentine's Day.