Richemont , the world's second-largest luxury goods maker after LVMH LVMH.PS, will seek growth in China's interior while strengthening its presence on the country's affluent east coast, its Asia chief executive said on Thursday, October 16th.

The chief executive of Italian eyewear maker Luxottica said 2008 was a tough year but he felt relaxed about the future. Luxottica, the world's biggest eyewear maker, said in July net income fell 16.

Nicolas Hayek, chairman of Swiss watchmaker Swatch Group , says he has personally lost about 3-4 billion Swiss francs on paper as a result of the financial crisis and is "furious" but not worried.

Switzerland's Richemont is well placed to cope with difficult trading conditions thanks to its presence in emerging markets, such as China, the luxury goods group's chairman said on Thursday.

Members of the controlling family of French luxury goods group Hermes have no plans to sell shares and the house is confident it will weather the financial crisis, Chief Executive Patrick Thomas told Reuters.

Charles & Colvard Ltd's Chief Financial Officer James Braun resigned, and the moissanite gemstone producer cut four other jobs as part of a corporate reorganization to manage costs and return to profitability.

Italian clothing retailer Benetton said on Friday Chief Financial Officer Emilio Foa would leave the company just under two years after he took the post.

Laura Ashley Holdings Plc , the British fashion and homewares retailer, said it was taking a cautious view on prospects for the second half after posting a 13 percent increase in first-half profit.

Swiss watchmaker Swatch Group is still confident about growth in the second half of the year despite the global economic slowdown, the group's chairman Nicolas Hayek was quoted as saying on Tuesday, September 23th.

Lululemon Athletica Inc , the women's workout clothing retailer, had considered buying U.S.

Italian fashion designer Prada still has its sights on a public offering when market turmoil subsides, its chief executive Patrizio Bertelli said on Thursday, according to a spokesman.

How do you take a 155-year-old raincoat maker with a staid image and transform it into a global luxury fashion and retail force? The answer, according Aquascutum President and CEO Kim Winser, is to market the heritage, modernise the clothes into objects of desire for sophisticated consumers, reach out to international markets and branch into accessories.

By Carolyn Giardina AMSTERDAM (Hollywood Reporter) - DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg predicted on Sunday that all movies would be made in 3-D within "a reasonable period of time" and that 2-D films would be "a thing of the past.

IT Holding said it was in talks with a company represented by Billy Ngok, chairman of China's Hembly International Holdings Ltd , but contrary to media reports it had not been in contact with Hembly or its subsidiaries.

Swatch Group would consider buying a well managed retailer in Europe, the Chairman of the world's largest watchmaker was quoted as saying on Thursday, but he ruled out a takeover of Junghans or investing in Peace Mark.