■PPR, which operates Gucci and Saint Laurent, acquires a majority stake in Christopher Kane and becomes a partner.
Christopher Kane is a young, top London brand. He is steadily climbing the ladder as a global luxury brand.
■Cross Company acquires Can, aiming for business synergy effects.
Cross Company, which operates brands such as "earth music&ecology," formed a capital alliance with Thom Browne in 2009 and established Thom Browne Inc.
■"BASE," a smart e-commerce site that allows users to easily create online shops for free, announces a third-party allotment of new shares.
BASE Inc., led by a 23-year-old president, has raised approximately 23 million yen from sources including partyfactory, run by Ieiri, the youngest company to be listed on the JASDAQ. FASHION HEADLINE also features an interview with the president.

■ Mitsukoshi Isetan × UA × Zozo Discussion Streamed Live on USTREAM

A symposium featuring the top executives of Mitsukoshi Isetan, United Arrows, and Zozotown will be streamed live on February 1st during the 5th Bunka Fashion Graduate University Fashion Week.

■ Former Toyoko Line Shibuya Station Site Opens as "Ekiato" for a Limited Time! Utilizing the station's familiar space for 85 years, including its clam roof, the former Toyoko Line Shibuya Station site will be transformed into a limited-time event space, "Shibuya Ekiato," from March 26th to May 6th, 2013.

■ Mitsukoshi Isetan Clearance Sale Postponed by Two Weeks; Off to a Strong Start, Exceeding Planned Values

Controversy over the clearance timing is high. We're curious to see the results. The winter clearance sale began on January 18th at major Mitsukoshi Isetan Holdings stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

■Grand Front Osaka is expected to generate 40 billion yen in sales and attract 25 million visitors in its first year. ZARA HOME and Ron Herman will open stores.

The details of the commercial building at Grand Front Osaka, a redevelopment project at Umeda North Yard in Osaka, which is being carried out by 12 developers including Mitsubishi Estate and Hankyu Railway, have been announced.

■Arai Sara's next collection will be held in Tokyo. A flagship store will open in Omotesando at the end of March.

Arai Sara, which presented its collection in Paris last season, is returning to Tokyo.

Thank you for reading FASHION HEADLINE's business news this week. We will continue to report on developments in the fashion industry next week.