BIBA is back!

Times may be hard, but it's always nice to read a good news story for a change. Fashionista can't be the only person to notice that the legedary BIBA brand has been revived exclusively at House of Fraser. According to the Guardian, despite the current talk of spending custs and recession, the brand's relaunch has been a hit - with sales of more than £500,000 in the first fortnight.

The new range has been designed by Barbara Hulanicki, the founder of the original BIBA store in Kensington back in 1964. In fact the re-launch has gone so well, House of Fraser has suggested that they may launch stand alone stores. Let's hope the resurgence of the brand continues - it just goes to show that  certain brands can live on even without any trade, and be resuscitated with the right product. With the weather on the turn, Biba's faux-fur coats have caught Fashionista's eye!

Bankable band: is the check in the post?

It isn't to everyone's taste, but rock group King of Leon's clothing -- like its music -- attracts a loyal and enthusiastic following. According to XFM the band is collborating with French fashion designers Surface To Air to produce a collection of jackets, jeans, shirts and accessories which resonate with the group's sartorial preferences and cultural ethos. The collection is soon to be launched in Denmark and you can get more information from the Paris Texas blog if you so desire.

Not that she would ever be judgmental about anything as personal and as subjective as fashion, Fashionista can't help wondering whether this is really a cleverly-crafted bit of band promotion masquerading as a fashion launch. To put it another way, she asks two questions: (i) would King of Leon's fans buy the clothing if it were completely unconnected with the band and (ii) would those fans buy any other items of apparel and accessories that were associated with the name of the group even if they looked quite unlike those of Surface to Air? If the answers are 'yes' and 'yes' respectively, Fashionista will volunteer to help the band carry its money to the bank ...