Heritage French and Italian fashion brands make up a list of the world’s most valuable labels following a compilation by the World Luxury Association (WLA).

The World’s Most Valuable Luxury Brands Top 100 provides rankings in areas including yachts, cars and resorts, although a large focus is on the fashion arena.

The Top 100 is based on luxury brands’ influence on a global scale and they take into account factors such as market share and consumer feedback.

Dolce & Gabbana on Wednesday apologised to the people of Hong Kong for allegedly discriminating against them in favour of wealthy mainland shoppers.

The company’s flagship Hong Kong store has been the focus of protests and online rage after reports that a security guard told locals they were not allowed to take photographs but mainlanders and foreigners were.

Locals accused the fashion house of “mainlandism” and started a Facebook page protesting against the store’s abuse of their rights.

Gift-giving has long been an integral part of life in mainland China and now a new survey has lifted the lid on just what it is the country’s rich have been handing out.

The “Top 10 Gifts for the Chinese Luxury Consumer 2012″ was compiled by Hurun Report and looked at what China’s wealthy liked to give to their friends.

The timing of the report is perfect, too, as the Chinese New Year period is traditionally the time when gifts are given to friends, family and business associates.

Mainland luxury Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly open to shopping for, and finding information about, luxury brands online with news portals.

Weibo is one of the most popular sources for information, according to the results of a survey released November 28 by PR group Ruder Finn Asia.

The survey was conducted among 1057 Mainland Chinese luxury shoppers by Ruder Finn Asia as part of its China Luxury Forecast.

Bing, the decision engine from Microsoft, recently pulled together its search trends for 2011 and below is the top 10 searched fashion brands of 2011.

Gucci reigns supreme for a second year in a row and beat out top brands including Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Y-3 and Louis Vuitton.

Guess and J.Crew proved to be forces amongst the high-end labels that made the list, taking the number 6 and 7 spots respectively.

French luxury products giant PPR said on Tuesday it was acquiring Italian high-end menswear brand Brioni, in line with the restructuring of its business.

PPR has “signed an accord with Brioni shareholders to acquire 100 percent of the capital,” it said in a statement, without giving a figure for the deal.

PPR head Francois-Henri Pinault said this acquisition “completes our portfolio of luxury brands … in the mens’ ready-to-wear segment,” which is growing fast.