LVMH, the world's largest luxury goods group, has signalled that its well-heeled customers are splashing the cash again with a surge in first-quarter sales.

Google won a significant victory in its seven-year battle with the owner of Louis Vuitton yesterday when Europe's highest court cleared the internet search giant of trademark violations in its advertising practices.

A fashion fact: Prada and Louis Vuitton are among the most powerful brands in the world. Fashion fact number two – and also just a fact, in fact – history repeats itself.

Death came very suddenly for Britain's finest when a rueful Ben Ainslie admitted ashore: "That was a very good lesson in how not to run a boat race."

With the revelation he is to work for luxury goods firm LVMH, Tony Blair shares the secrets of success (as imagined by the <i>IoS</i>)

King George win sets up dream Gold Cup showdown with Denman

Top trainers' seasons can be shaped by performances at unpredictable meeting

A disappointing fourth was the reward for Ben Ainslie and Britain’s America’s Cup challenger Team Origin in the Louis Vuitton Trophy series off Nice.

The fashion house Gianni Versace is to close its last three Japanese stores, after demand for its luxury goods slumped in the world's second-biggest economy.

Stella McCartney kicked off proceedings at the Paris collections yesterday with a show that appeared to reference childhood memories of her mother's wardrobe with easy denim separates, fine-gauge knitwear and relaxed tailoring in summery shades straight out of the 1970s.

"Lacroix, sweetie," Edina in Absolutely Fabulous often answered when asked what she was wearing, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Given the circles that the TV satire focused upon, it probably was. The exuberant designs that characterise this designer's work, inspired, he has said, by his southern France childhood, was as integral a part of the upwardly mobile 1980s as the Filofax and the predominance of matt black.

Vive la coquette! At Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs' ultra-flirtatious silhouette and exotic details make for a French fashion moment, says Susannah Frankel

An invite arrives to a House of Commons reception next month to unveil a report on how to encourage investment in green technology. A worthy aim, but will the bash still be on by the time we get there? It's just that the invite comes from Elliot Morley, the MP who forgot he'd paid off his mortgage and claimed another £16,000 for it. What chance of him still being around in June to buy the drinks?

Popular brands have called for stricter policing of the internet, as they fear fraud will soar during the first "digital recession".