China’s trade surplus with the rest of the world hit a record $14.5bn in June, beating the previous month’s record of $13bn and beating analysts’ forecasts. The figures will fuel the debate over whether China’s currency, the yuan, is kept artificially low to boost exports. Exports were up by 23.3% from June last year, while imports rose by 18.9%. US politicians and businessmen have often criticised the US-China trade imbalance, which hit $202bn in 2005.

The figures came from the Commerce Ministry, which has warned Chinese firms to be wary of the antagonism caused in the West by the growing strength of China’s economy. In January the Ministry told companies to keep a low profile when buying businesses in the West and said too much publicity could add to the price of an acquisition, creating what it called the “China Premium.” Song Guoqing, an economist at the Chinese stock exchange predicted that the surplus would continue to grow throughout 2006. Such a trend could increase the pressure for protectionist measures in the US, where China’s trade surplus has been blamed for the loss of manufacturing jobs.

Tesco will sell clothing online for the first time this month to take advantage of the lucrative back-to-school season. A capsule range of school clothing and accessories will be sold on the retailer’s Tesco.com website from July 21 in Scotland and August 4 in the rest of the UK . The initiative will run for six weeks until the start of the school term.

Tesco plans to expand its clothing customer database through affiliate partnerships, which pay a commission to sites that drive traffic onto them. Its Tesco.com/clothing site, which enables visitors to view items online before they buy in-store, has more than 150,000 registered customers.

Keith Chamarette, project director of digital agency WARL Evolution, which helped set up Tesco’s clothing website in April 2005. He said: “Until now, the database has grown organically through the site or through in-store promotions. Affiliate programmes should help to drive even more traffic there.” Despite the trial, Tesco is unlikely to sell its entire clothing collection online in the near future.

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Fashion house Nina Ricci has announced the departure of its creative director Lars Nilsson. The designer is leaving for “personal reasons”. “It’s been a really great experience,” he said in a statement. “But I decided to pursue other things.” Nilsson joined Nina Ricci in October of 2003, after having worked for Bill Blass, Christian Dior and Christian Lacroix. Mario Grauso, president of Ricci’s parent company Puig Fashion Group, said Nilsson was “a great match” for the company and was sorry to see him go. “We’re sad to lose him. He’s a very talented young man and we really enjoyed working with him. We really wish him well.” Designer Olivier Theyskens, who shocked the fashion industry last month with his departure from Rochas, is said to be the odds-on favourite to replace Nilsson. Grauso was even spotted at his last show for the how in March. “Olivier’s a friend,” Grauso said by way of explanation. “He asked me to come to his show. I admire his work.” According to WWD, Nilsson’s departure means that the house will not show at Paris Fashion Week in October, although his design team will present a spring/summer 2007 collection. Nilsson could not be reached for comment.

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On Tuesday, Benetton’s board of directors approved the Italian fashion group’s preliminary results for 2006. Consolidated revenues rose 8.4 percent to €1.913 million, up from €1.765 million in 2005. Net income growth was in line with expectations, at around 6.5 percent of revenues.

The trends for this year’s revenues are “decidedly positive”. The company has estimated that the growth rate for the next few years should be at least 6 to 8 percent. Orders for 2007 were in line with the new structure of the product offering, which is more spread out over the year. However, the first months have already made it possible to pinpoint a trend for the year. Growth in 2007 will result from an increase in volume and product mix in all clothing areas, especially in accessories and shirts. Growth is also expected in foreign markets, particularly in the Mediterranean region, Eastern Europe, China and India. Greater segmentation of the product offering is expected to drive results in Italy. Gross earnings are expected to increase by 20 percent. The group will also continue to develop, with investments to be between €250 and €300 million, mainly in the logistics, IT and production side of the business. “The positive trend in 2006 is confirmation of the effectiveness of commercial policies launched in previous years and of the continuous improvement in service to the client, both in terms of speed and richness of the product offering, in which we are continuing to invest in 2007,” group chairman Luciano Benetton said in a statement. “As from this year, we can confidently dedicate our resources to supporting growth in strategic and fast developing areas, assisted by the professionalism and enthusiasm of our partners”.

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The recently refloated department store group Debenhams has been criticised in a major research note by Goldman Sachs, the bank. The 126-store retailer was ranked bottom in a league table of nine European clothing chains by the bank, which also cut Debenhams’ price target and earnings forecasts.

The retailer’s poor showing will heighten concerns that it was returned to the public arena in poor shape by its private equity owners, Texas Pacific Group, CVC and Merrill Lynch Global. “Our concern comes from underinvested stores, uncompetitive prices, cost cuts affecting service standards and a high level of promotional activity damaging the brand,” Goldman said. It was not all bad news. In a survey of 650 shoppers, Debenhams was seen as selling the second-best quality clothes, after Marks & Spencer. Overall, customers ranked Debenhams 7th out of 15 UK retailers.

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Reebok International has filed a lawsuit against Nike Inc. for allegedly copying its patented technology in sneakers now on store shelves. Reebok received a patent in January for collapsible or “flexible sole” technology allowing shoes to be folded into a more compact form for packaging or to save space while travelling. The athletic footwear and apparel company claims that 11 Nike shoes marketed under various “Free” product names incorporate that technology and therefore infringe on its patent, according to documents filed yesterday in federal district court in Tyler, Texas.

“We will act to protect our research and development efforts whenever companies try to claim Reebok technology as their own,” Diana Wainrib, Reebok’s chief counsel, said in a statement. Former Reebok footwear designer Andrew Gillespie, now vice president of global sport, footwear and apparel for Reebok, designed the technology in question, and Reebok applied for the patent in 2002. The technology enables the company to dispense sneakers in vending machines.

“We are evaluating the claims related to this very recently issued U.S. patent and any potential limited application to the successful Nike Free product,” Nike said in a statement. Reebok filed the lawsuit in an east Texas court that a PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP study ranked as the second most favourable in the nation for patent lawsuits, according to Bloomberg News. Inventors and patent owners have won jury verdicts 90 percent of the time there since 1994.

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Australian fashion’s show week wound up on Friday amid a bitter row over size zero models, lacklustre reviews and claims leading local designers largely ignored the country’s yearly international showpiece. According to China Daily, Festival organizers were accused of allowing super slim models onto catwalks despite a promise to avoid the half-starved look, which fell out of favour globally after the death from anorexia of Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston.

“We don’t think the situation at this point requires rules in terms of regulating the appearance of models,” Australian Fashion Week organizer Simon Lock told local media, promising to ban designers judged to have broken a promise to “self-regulate.” Newspaper photographs of ultra-skinny swimsuit models appeared through the week, despite agencies being asked not to choose models who “would be considered to be unnaturally or extraordinarily thin, or suspected of having an eating disorder.”

Top Texan model import Erin Wasson said most models relied on genetics rather than starvation. “People have to face the fact that it’s in the genes,” the face of local jeans label Ksubi said. Australian fashion businessman Danny Avidan said the show week suffered from the absence of Australia’s established brands, like his own Charlie Brown and Lili. “For an established brand to participate in the week is like Madonna going on American Idol,” he told Australian Associated Press.

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Other critics said designers relied too much on ultra-short and baby-doll dresses, which McCann said were “best to be ignored if you are over 20 and not a trendy stylist or starlet with very skinny brown legs.” Organiser Lock said international buyers, especially from Asia, had made the show — and trends in color, metallics and micro minis — a success.

Australia Fashion Week is set against the spectacular harbour side backdrop of Circular Quay in Sydney, the best emerging and established designers from Australia and the Asia Pacific previewed collections to some of the world’s most significant buyers, media and key industry influencers.

Swarovski Fashion Rocks, the charity that sponsors the Prince’s Trust, has announced its stellar line-up of designers and music for this year’s glamorous event. Hosted by Uma Thurman and Samual L Jackson, the event will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on 18th October. Following the success of Fashion Rccks in London 2003 and Monaco in 2005, this years event will see the much-awaited parings of Armani and Alicia Keys, Burbery and Razorlight, Calvin Klein and Joss Stone, Chanel and Lily Allen, Christopher Kane and The Gossip and Stellay McCartney and Shy Child amonst others. Brit band Sugabes will perform a special guest apprearance for sponsors Swarovski.

The event’s executive producer Nick Scott calls the evening London’s hot ticket for the year. “What a fantastic line-up and hosted by two of Hollywood’s finest actors Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson renowned for their impeccable sense of style both on and off-screen.”

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The fashion entrepreneur Linda Bennett has become the latest in a string of British entrepreneurs to transfer the ownership of her business to avoid the rise in capital gains tax which came into effect last week.

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Bennett, who founded the LK Bennett chain 18 years ago and who has earned the nickname “Queen of the Kitten Heel”, is understood to have engineered the move in the past few weeks. Bennett has been seeking a buyer for her business, which she is thought to value at up to £150m, and talks with prospective bidders are understood to be continuing.

Bennett opened her first store in Wimbledon village in 1990 selling shoes and accessories. Trained in footwear design at Cordwainers College in Hackney, Linda gained experience in the design studio of Robert Clergerie in France. She started out with a handbag label, selling to stores such as Harvey Nichols, before setting up her first store. Fifteen years on, there are over 70 LK Bennett stores offering women affordable glamour with stylish shoes, clothing and accessories designed to bridge the gap between designer and high street.

True Religion Apparel signed a new licensing agreement with United Legwear Company to manufacture and distribute True Religion branded legwear, which will include men’s, women’s and children’s socks, leggings and tights. True Religion branded legwear will make its debut at the Las Vegas Project Show in September 2009. A nationwide rollout will also take place to True Religion branded stores and wholesale retail partners including department stores and specialty store retailers. Additionally, United Legwear Company is planning an international rollout to select markets in North America, Europe and Asia.

“Extending our licensing platform continues to be a core component of our product diversification strategy,” said Michael Buckley, president of True Religion Apparel. “As we move towards our long-term goal of 50-60% sales contribution from jeans and 40-50% sales contribution from sportswear, we will seek to establish partnerships with licensees that hold expertise in categories that are complementary to our existing product offering. In doing so, we believe we can expand our product mix with minimal infrastructure investment and contribute to the future profitable growth of the Company.”

United Legwear Company, LLC, founded by its President Isaac E. Ash, is a leading global manufacturer of socks and underwear located in New York City with distribution centers in New Jersey and California. True Religion Apparel, Inc. is a growing, design-based jean and jean-related brand. The company designs, manufactures and markets True Religion Apparel products, including its premium True Religion Brand Jeans.

Image: True Religion