The move comes at a time when the $200 billion luxury-products industry, once thought recession-proof, is spiraling downward. Luxury-product sales globally are expected to fall a hefty 8% in 2009, projects a Bain & Co. study.

Pooh-poohing all that is Oakley CEO Colin Baden. "Why not go after the Holy Grail of elite sunglasses? It's less a business objective and more Oakley flexing its R&D muscle and thumbing its nose at the other expensive eyewear makers."

The ultrapremium Oakley Elite C Six will sell at almost seven times the price of the $600 Pit Boss, which had been Oakley's costliest line. Sporting goods gurus and sports marketing experts are hard-pressed to name a pricier line of sunglasses, or to explain why Oakley is launching it now.

Posh is though to be fed up of being a 'walking advert' for other designers, who benefit from increased sales whenever she is pictured with one of their pieces.

A close friend of the stylista told the sun: 'Victoria is fed up of promoting other brands. If she wears Hermes or Christian Louboutin, people go and buy it.

'She thought, 'why can't I do this with my own line?'' the insider continued. 'Her current collection has gone down a storm across the celebrity world. If this is repeated with her line of shoes, the range would be worth an absolute fortune.'

"2009 has been a challenging year but the worst is behind us. Today we are looking to the future with optimism," Guerra said, speaking at an earlier shareholders' meeting, where the payment of a dividend of 0.22 euro per share was approved.

He said Luxottica was working towards making 2010 "a return to normality" for the maker of Prada and Ray-Ban sunglasses.

On a conference call with analysts, he said Luxottica was building to go back to mid-single digit growth in 2010 sales and the ratio between EBITDA and debt should be below 2.5 times.

"We want to have a strong growth in profitability, we want to be back to our normal terms," Guerra said.

The 37-piece Winter Kate line, which takes her daughter Harlow's two middle names, will hit stores such as Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ron Herman, Intermix and Kitson, beginning in February. "It feels as though I've always been working on this collection, but officially I started putting it together in early 2009," said Richie, who is lying low at home after the birth last month of her son, Sparrow. "I've wanted to design a clothing collection for a very long time."

Richie, who has become known for her eclectic bohemian style with a Sixties and Seventies flair, said she has torn fashion pages out of magazines for years and also draws inspiration from her favorite animals, including peacocks and other birds. The line includes mostly tops, vests and bed jackets in colorful vintage-inspired silk, crepe and chiffon because these tops are a mainstay of Richie’s own wardrobe.

"I probably wear the same two pairs of jeans every day as the background to a fabulous top," she said. "Bed jackets are a staple of my wardrobe because they are a gorgeous way to give jeans and a white T-shirt a completely different look." Also key for spring dressing are "definitely a beautiful, fun slip dress in a great print and also a leather jacket to turn the romantic day dress into an edgy night-out outfit," Richie said.

Hogan's 16 styles for men and women are made from plastic, metal or combinations of the two, and are made in Italy. The prescription frames will arrive in stores at the end of March. "The eyewear was a natural evolution for a successful brand like Hogan that started out with footwear and, in time, has added leather goods and apparel," said Nicola Giorgi, Hogan's general manager.

The women's styles are characterized by a contemporary spin on oversize, slightly retro shapes, while the men's designs have an aviator feel. Colors include black, shades of brown and plum. Retail prices range from 190 euros, or $285 at current exchange, to 250 euros, or $375. Celebrities already have been spotted wearing the frames, including Naomi Watts, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Moss, Daisy Lowe, Kiera Chaplin, Colin Firth and Anna Friel.

• Oval: Keep balance and proportion in mind when trying on different options and look for frames that are as wide as the broadest part of the face. Make sure the eyewear features aren't overwhelming.
• Round: A round face is full with curvy lines and no angles. Use eyewear to provide a slimming effect and minimize the fullness of the face. Avoid square styles. Look for oversized eye shapes in oval or rectangle to make the face appear longer and thinner.
• Square: Square faces often have a strong jaw line, broad forehead and wide chin and cheekbones. Choose a frame with soft lines or curves to enhance and make the face appear longer. Try highlighting the cheekbones with a cat-eye inspired look.

For the second time, the two have teamed up to create a range of umbrellas which, actually, will make you ever so slightly wish it would rain, featuring as they do, Guinness' trademark wit and humour.

"We're delighted to have worked with Lulu Guinness to celebrate such a special occasion. The glamorous and stylish umbrellas combine Lulu's iconic prints with Fulton's quality designs," says Nigel Fulton, chief executive at Fulton.

The two parties issued a joint statement through their lawyers late Friday, reading: "Trovata, Inc. and Forever 21, Inc., Forever 21 Retail, Inc., and Forever 21 Logistics, LLC had been involved in litigation with each other for the last two years. All companies have recently resolved their differences to their mutual satisfaction, without any admission as to liability, and the action has been dismissed. The terms of settlement are confidential."

*****

The first trial was significant in that it was the first time Forever 21 faced an actual jury, after being sued more than 50 times in alleged design infringement cases over the past four years. The retailer had settled all those cases out of court, as it did again in this instance.