Europe’s desire for expensive handbags and scarves appears stronger than its taste for champagne as the French luxury group Hermès posted a 16 per cent sales rise while the champagne maker Laurent-Perrier recorded a 10.5 per cent drop.

Considering the selling points of Australia include its preponderance of sunshine and sandy shores, not to mention the strong economy and high quality of life, it’s little wonder that our friends down under are so skilled at creating covetable swimwear.

Tax breaks for married couples? It seems to me singletons deserve something back

Take summer-holiday packing first-class with luxurious, bold and bright transitional pieces, says Rebecca Gonsalves

What’s the best way to sell your house to a potential buyer? Put a pot of coffee on to brew before they arrive or make sure there are fresh flowers in every room when your estate agent comes around to take some pictures for its online listing? Well, one enterprising vendor in east London has given their bedroom a boudoir feel by leaving a racy fuchsia negligee, complete with bottle of red and two glasses on the bed for the estate agent’s snapper to capture.

Designer hoists Eastern European punk band to the rafters for Paris fashion show

'Designer clothing' is a phrase you don't really hear much anymore. Instead, we use 'fashion' which is both a noun, and a verb. It puts the onus on the making, rather than the design.

Styling: Beth Dadswell

The simmering tensions between the Savile Row establishment and the capital's youthful upstarts has suddenly come to the boil

VIDEO: See the latest offerings on the catwalk

Styling: Gemma Hayward

A bared midsection may still a step too far for many fashion followers,  but it’s a summer style worth stomaching, says Emma Akbareian

Luxury brand Loewe celebrates the brighter side of life with a new limited-edition collection, says Rebecca Gonsalves

You mean nice, comfy tracksuit bottoms? Huzzah!