The fair-trade fashion industry looks set to step further into the catwalk spotlight after Messe Frankfurt announced its takeover of the former Parisian Ethical Fashion Show.

The green event, a highlight in the past six years of the Paris Fashion Week, was unveiled by its new owners last Friday. Messe Frankfurt is the world’s third largest fair trade firm, and has an annual turnover of around half a billion euros (USD 671 million).

Messe Frankfurt has been in operation for almost a century, with strong historic links to the textile industry, notably in Asia. The move represents the group’s first foray into the fashion industry.

Detlef Braun, Messe Frankfurt’s director, said the move was testament to his company’s commitment to a highly topical issue – that of sustainable development.

The ethical fashion market has been well supported by the dynamic British industry, where the point of difference is a key marketing tool, while the Ethical Fashion Show has grown to become the leading global event for fair trade-fashion and eco-friendly fashion habits.

The event involves designers from all across the globe and has grown from 20 exhibitors in 2004 to 90 in 2009. Each one of the displays at the four-day event is done with a firm social or environmental commitment, notably to respectable working conditions, the preservation of traditional practices and the protection of the environment.

The event will take place in Paris, for the last time, from 25 – 28 September at the Fashion and Design City on the Docks en Seine.

Kate Moss will launch a new line of handbags designed exclusively by the model. The collection, which will be designed for popular brand Longchamp, will be a line of stylish capsule bags which were first viewed this week during Paris fashion week.

Kate Moss began her partnership with Longchamp in 2006 when she became their primary star in their advertising campaigns. The supermodel-turned-fashionista gave the brand a much-needed publicity boost launching them to the top of the charts.

Now the model will be taking her partnership with the label to new heights by designing her own products to be sold jointly with the brand name. The first collection of capsule bags influenced by Kate’s uber-trendy style will be available commercially February 11.

The fashion icon has even included travel bags into her line of bags, all named after cities or regions in Europe. The Soho clutch, for example, is a trendy evening bag with vibrant colours, or the Gloucester which is an everday bag with braiding.

Longchamp has said that they hope this new line will spawn a long term collaboration with the model turned fashion designer. Kate said, of the label, that the two have a great working relationship and that she is excited for the opportunity to create her own range of handbags.

Dame Helen Mirren has said that she would like to produce her own fashion line upon retiring from acting. The British actress, well known for her role as Queen Elizabeth in The Queen, said that she would like to have the chance to do something different outside of acting and mentioned designing her own clothes as a way to get away from acting.

Currently starring in the new period drama The Last Station, Dame Helen is playing Sofya Tolstoy, wife to the infamous Russian writer, in the romantic film. Helen was interviewed at the premiere of her movie in London, and said that she could not wait to begin designing her own range of clothing. She even joked that she would get out her sewing machine.

The Oscar winner, 64 years old, said, jokingly, that she would even consider working for the US fashion reality show ‘Project Runway’ hosted by Heidi Klum. The starlet would not be the first actress to break into the fashion industry. Jennifer Lopez has had a long running fashion line, and recently Lindsay Lohan just debut her own line of leggings. The young actress also starred on the sixth season of ‘Project Runway’ as a guest judge.

The actress’ announcement comes during Fashion Week going on in Paris. Dame Helen Mirren is in London promoting her new film, The Last Station.

Today, as Paris fashion week kicks off in the fashion centre of the world, John Galliano, the famous designer for Christian Dior, brought the show back to the 1900s with a ground-breaking look at the traditional Gibson Girls style.

Charles Gibson, a well-known cartoonist, was famous for exaggerated drawings of female bodies most noted by their unreasonably small waists and outrageously bouffant hairdos. And although, in current times it seems a far stretch from the average modern woman, John Galliano managed to breath new life into the age-old stereotype.

The models came out on the catwalk decked out in sculpted jackets and large-sized buns fitted with black hair netting. The modern spin made the clothes look relevant and modern, but retained the Gibson Girls feel.

This week looks to see many more modern spins on old classics, and some new haute couture being brought to the table, or catwalk. Some interesting aspects of the show this week include splatters of fake blood, mobile phones, and an anticipated orgy of diamonds.

On Thursday, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arples, and others will reveal new lines of exclusive jewellery staging the viewings in shows for only the most VIP attendees to the fashion week shows. Kate Moss will also debut her line of handbags later on this week.