Retail therapy: A chief at last

Finally. Chloe has a new chief designer - Paulo Melim Andersson.

This ends a year of speculation over who was going to take over from creative director Phoebe Philo, who left to spend more time with her child.

The Swedish-born 34-year-old was nabbed from Italian label Marni and will present his first collection in March.

We think French designer Yvan Mispelaere, who designed this knock-out dress for Chloe's spring/summer 2007 collection was doing a fine job though.

Fast cars and fairies

The worlds of Trelise Cooper and Greg Murphy rarely collide. After all, fashion and motorsport don't have much in common.

But the pair have teamed up to produce a limited edition children's clothing range to raise money for the Child Cancer Foundation.

Cooper's Fairy Dust range and Murphy's racing car inspired T-shirts are being sold through JK Kids' stores.

Cooper's range includes a party dress and two skirt and top outfits "made for frolicking and make-believe".

The Fairy Dust clothes are $22.95-$44.95 with at least $10 from each going to the Child Cancer Foundation.

Murphy's T-shirts, for 1 to 12-year-olds, are $19.95 each with $10 from each shirt going to the foundation.

Waist of money

Coco Chanel once said you can never be too rich or too thin and punters would certainly have to be both to enjoy the latest extravagant fashion offering.

A £20,000 ($57,000) gold studded belt, which has been described as the height of bling has gone on sale at Selfridges in Britain - but it gets more expensive if you pile on the pounds.

Aimed at men with an exhibitionist streak, it features 70 individually carved 18-carat gold pyramid studs on a white leather base.

Shoppers with waists more than 28 inches (71cm) - the equivalent of a woman's size 10 - will have to pay £800 for each extra inch (2.5cm).

The limited edition belt is finished with a classic buckle crafted from solid 18-carat gold and the smallest version weighs just over 0.5kg.

Although unlikely to be to everyone's taste, the belt is likely to prove a winner with the fashion label's clients in the hip-hop world and with those who are not only unafraid to flash their cash but wear it around their midriff.

It is just the latest in a long line of offerings including a diamond-encrusted bra which the average shopper might simply see as obscenely expensive.