'Beautyworld India' in Mumbai from 3rd to 6th October

Messe Frankfurt India today announced the arrival of its well known international brand “Beautyworld”, as “Beautyworld India” in Mumbai from 3rd to 6th October 2008.

The fair will feature the entire gamut of product ranges from cosmetics, skincare, haircare, mouth & dental care, spa and wellness, fitness equipment, to packaging, raw materials, manicure & pedicure, interior design & furniture for beauty parlours, fashion accessories as well as training centres and publishers from India and abroad.

Beautyworld is the globally recognized brand from Messe Frankfurt's portfolio of beauty fairs, which is currently held in Frankfurt, Buenos Aries, Osaka, Tokyo and Dubai.

“With India's economy on the fast track, and a reduction in import duties, the large and demanding market is well and truly open for business. The huge opportunities in the cosmetic, wellness and health sectors can no longer go unnoticed.

International manufacturers waiting to take advantage of the enormous Indian consumer market, and Indian manufacturers wanting to keep upwith global trends and production, will find Beautyworld India perfectly timed “ says Shammi Nagpal, Managing Director Messe Frankfurt India.

To be held in Mumbai, the country's commercial and fashion capital, Beautyworld India will provide the right backdrop for business in a city where more than half of India's high net-worth consumers reside.

Trends and tradition combine dynamically in the modern Indian beauty & health scenario. Growth in domestic markets is coming from several sectors. Consumer spending itself is changing because an average urban household is becoming particular about health and beauty care. Small stores dealing exclusively with beauty products as well as beauty salons, spas, health food shops, and fitness studios have now become a common feature of most Indian towns and cities. With the growing urbanization of Indian cities, more and more Indians are opting for beauty treatments, health products together with radical haircuts. Beauty pagents are very well accepted and titles are much sought after. Advertising campaigns, and product launches of beauty products form a greater part of the social calendar. International labels such as Estée Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Yves Saint Laurent, Shiseido, among others, are increasingly commanding shelf pace in department stores across the country.

The beauty and cosmetics market in India currently stands at US $950 million and is growing at the rate of 15-20% per annum. The skincare sector is one of the fastest growing segments as Indian consumers have started using specialized skincare products according to their skin type. The market for fairness creams, facial creams, moisturisers, cleansers are growing at a rate of 18-20%.

Fringe programmes are an important aspect of any trade fair and are a must in the beauty industry. Over 16 international workshops are planned to inform and inspire.

Beautyworld India will set the trends for attractive business in the subcontinent.

Ashton Kutcher is Pepe Jeans' face for Autum/Winter 2008.

Pepe Jeans London is pleased to announce that fronting the advertising campaign for Autumn / Winter 2008 is the actor and tv producer Ashton Kutcher.

After some success in modelling Kutcher moved to Los Angeles and after his first audition was cast as Michael Kelso in the television series That 70s Show which debuted in 1998 and ended in 2006.

He has starred in several comedy films that include Dude, Where's My Car? Just Married, Guess Who,Cheaper By The Dozen,The Butterfly Effect and most recently What Happens In Vegas...Perhaps Kutcher is more renowned for his antics in his own MTV series Punkd.

He is also executive producer for reality TV show Beauty And The Geek aswell as another reality tv show entitled The Real Wedding Crashers.

Female talent is top model Isabeli Fontana. Born in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. In 1996 she made it to the finals of the Elite Model Look Contest when she was just 13. Isabeli quickly rose to fame and over the years has modelled for Versace, Ralph Lauren and Valentino and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

The pictures were shot on location at the Zorthian Ranch in Altadena, California. A hippy camp that existed during the 70s and has been completely untouched ever since.

Adidas sales rise 12%

Adidas Group saw currency-neutral sales rise 12% to €5.1 billion (£4bn) for the first half, and 4% year-on-year in euro terms.

The Adidas brand reported a 16% rise in currency-neutral sales to €3.7bn (£2.9bn) for the first six months of the year but Reebok saw its currency-neutral sales fall back by 2% and sales in euro terms slip behind 11% to €923 million (£723m).

Group currency-neutral sales in Europe rose by 16% to €2.3 bn (£1.8bn). Group gross margin also reached a record level for the first half following a 2.5 percentage point uplift to 49.6%.

Adidas chairman and chief executive Herbert Hainer said: "We are proud to report a strong set of financial results for the first half of 2008. Our performance is nothing short of exceptional, particularly in light of the tougher macroeconomic environment. Adidas and TaylorMade-Adidas Golf continue to show strong momentum and we have laid the foundations at Reebok for continued improvement in the second half of the year."

Sales rise 3.7% at John Lewis

John Lewis has reported a welcome boost to trading with sales up 3.7% for the week ended August 2.

John Lewis sales jumped to £47.4 million for the week, with fashion sales striding ahead by 7.4%.

Seven John Lewis branches, including Oxford Street and Aberdeen, posted increases in sales against the same week last year.

John Lewis managing director Andy Street said cited the new Ted Baker range as being a strong performer in womens wear : "In womens wear, it was terrific to see the response from our customers to the new Ted Baker range."

Street added: "New autumn stock continues to feed through, with sales gaining corresponding momentum. The focus is split going forward on the back-to-school peak and the opening of our new shop in Leicester in less than four weeks, where progress towards a successful opening from a building, team and stock perspective is excellent."