The timing of China Fashion Week was a subject of some debate among my contacts.  According to China Apparel Net, it will start，here in Beijing, on March 24.  China fashion week has been going for eleven years.

H&M will open one shop this Spring (at Joy City in Xidan) and one this fall.  Outside of Beijing, H&M will open three shops in China in 2009 for a total of five new shops this year.  Unlike Zara, H&M is staying out of India for the time being.

Mattel opened its House of Barbie Mattel in Shanghai and is looking to the China market to help it recover from a 21% plunge in sales as a result of the slowdown.