Wings of desire: 175 years of Hermès (Telegraph)
"Fast-forward to now, and Hermès is the world's best-regarded luxury company. The regard is reflected in its performance: last year, its profits rose 41 per cent to £495 million. Its exquisitely printed silk scarves are lusted after, but the cult of Hermès is predicated primarily on its handbags."

Slowdown in China? Not for luxury brands (CNN)
"China's broader economy may be losing momentum, but its big spenders aren't letting anything get in the way of their love affair with Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci."

Adidas ups 2012 goals as it trumps rivals in China (Reuters)
"Adidas, the world's second-biggest sporting goods company, raised its 2012 profit forecast after outperforming rivals Nike and Puma in the key Chinese market as shoppers there snapped up its trademark three-stripe sneakers."

The Curator Wears Prada (The Daily Beast)
"This spring, Prada will become the latest designer to be honored at the Costume Institute at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, in a retrospective that pairs her with the great iconoclast Elsa Schiaparelli, who died in 1973."

Salvatore Ferragamo's Second Coming As An "It" Brand (Forbes)
"It's been quite a good year for Ferragamo. The company, which had remained family owned throughout the years, went public on the Milan Stock Exchange last summer, floating just over 20 percent of its stock."