Always a highlight of London Fashion Week, Burberry showed bright colors, jaunt plastic capes and a more sculptural silhouette in its autumn/winter 2011 womenswear collection.

The Wall Street Journal praised its '60s-inspired "panache," as designer Christopher Bailey's collection was a nod to the brand's heritage — and, specifically, a 1960s shoot for the brand featuring British model Jean Shrimpton.

Tech-forward as ever, the brand once again offered click-to-buy online and via the iPad, as the runway show was streamed live around the world and (a first) to pedestrians in London's Piccadilly Circus, with the music — a key component to Bailey's vision — available on iTunes.

Find out what Vogue's Anna Wintour thought of it all after the jump.Continue reading...

It used to be that the celebrity endorsement game was mainly played in an arena wired with TV, radio and print. Now, with Facebook and Twitter at brands' and celebrities' fingertips alike, the rules of that game have changed. Witness the uproar over paid tweets, as CNN highlights above.

It's a tricky area, which has created an opportunity for firms such as Ad.ly to help brands and celebs navigate the choppy seas of celebrity endorsement in a highly social, visible and transparent era.Continue reading...

Burberry, which just unveiled its autumn/winter 2011 menswear collection at Milan Fashion Week, today reported strong growth in the third quarter, with sales up 27%. The British luxury brand saw sales in China (where it now owns all its stores) rise 30% in the quarter, while growth coming from every region the company operates in including Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, with the U.K., France, Taiwan and Hong Kong particularly strong. 

"The way we're delivering a synchronised brand message globally means consumers see the same product offer, the same touch points in windows and in stores, whether in London, Paris, New York or Beijing," the brand's CFO said on an earnings call today with analysts.

CEO Angela Ahrendts explained the brand's China market strategy in this video:

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Comcast, Verizon and other US cable/telco broadband operators must abide by new net neutrality rules.

Deutsche Bank settles tax shelter case.

FDA powers broaden in new US food safety bill.Continue reading...

When Josh Bernoff talks, brands listen.

The social media guru and SVP of idea development at Forrester Research has released a Spinal Tap-like (goes to 11!) list of retailers who, in his view, are the best examples leveraging social media and digital technology.

Bernoff shared the savviest social retailers (APIs, community-building, Twitter/FB ninjas) he likes in a year-end snapshot for the US National Retail Federation.

His number one pick of the year: Best Buy, for how @Twelpforce engages 2,500 employees with customers via Twitter and an open API platform that drives traffic to BestBuy.com from other websites.

Read about Bernoff's other top social retailers of the year after the jump.Continue reading...

While luxury brands have long been considered elitist, even they are being affected by the digital revolution. While there may be some skepticism about the use of social media by luxury brands, increasingly, these brands are following the online stampede — only they're wearing $1,500 stilettos and sashaying down the digital catwalk.Continue reading...

The world has gone mad for plaid! This week, Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts announced expectation-exceeding profits for the first half of the year: £117.7 million, up from £78.4 million, on sales of £641 million. She also shared the tactics that have made the brand hotter than ever around the globe.Continue reading...

American Airlines gears up Hispanic marketing.

AOL calls its ad declines “self-inflicted.”

Apple's iPad poses challenges to brands trying to leverage it.

BHP Billiton gets slapped down by Canadian government in its bid for Potash.

Chipotle develops Asian fast-casual concept.

Delta flight attendants reject union.

Domino's Pizza intrigues with mystery stunt in Japan: hiring a temp worker for one hour for $31,000.Continue reading...