Business Diary: Liam Gallagher rocks the retailers

Liam Gallagher, the former Oasis frontman, lent some rock and roll glamour to the Drapers Awards at London's Grosvenor Hotel on Park Lane on Wednesday night. Gallagher and his partner, the former All Saints singer Nicole Appleton, were there to pick up an award for his Pretty Green fashion label, which opened its first store in Carnaby Street in July. True to form Liam kept his coat on, swaggered on to stage and bantered with the host Lisa Snowdon. But he disappointed the audience by failing to respond to their pleas for a speech and left soon after picking up his gong.

The fumblings of youth recalled

Also at the Drapers bash, Miles Gray, the former chief executive of Ben Sherman, stole the show as he picked up the Lifetime Achievement award. After a slow start – retail professionals began to fear a "Marc Bolland" (the M&S boss gave a one and a half hour presentation at a strategy update last week) – Gray entertained the masses with stories of the real "swinging sixties" in Sweden (cue raised eyebrows) and admitted he used to get excited when fumbling with bras at work. Still, as everyone knows, a true retailer has to be passionate about his product.

Boizot, the man for four seasons

Congratulations to Peter Boizot, the founder of Pizza Express, who, at a leisure industry bash, has also picked up a Lifetime Achievement award this week. Boizot opened the first Pizza Express in Soho, London in 1965 and also claims the credit for introducing the beer brand Peroni to the UK. His Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho discovered stars including Norah Jones and Jamie Cullum (we'll let him off that). And he's even found time to chair his hometown football club, Peterborough United.

Trump heading for White House?

Looks like Barack Obama has some competition to worry about. Donald Trump told CNBC yesterday that he fancies making a run for President. The business mogul – and star of the US version of The Apprentice – reckons voters are bound to go for his plain speaking. On the subject of a showdown with China, for example, Trump's message is bring it on – "I hope we do get into a trade war with China," he says.

businessdiary@independent.co.uk