The company, which owns the Nicole Farhi brand, said pre-tax profits for the year to January rose to �10.4m ($16.3m) from �8.2m a year ago, well up on market expectations.

Sales grew 25.2% to �117.3m, assisted by the opening of 10 new stores. Like-for-like sales, excluding the effects of the new store space, were 11% higher.

The company said its decision two years ago to abbreviate its full name, French Connection UK, to FCUK has had an impact on customers.

Its recent Christmas advertising campaign, FCUK Christmas - Take Me Away, further "created attention and provoked discussion", the company said.

'Great optimism'

Chief executive Stephen Marks, said: "At the core of our recent success have been the advertising campaigns for both French Connection and Nicole Farhi. Overall we enter the new year with great optimism."

He added that sponsorship of boxer Lennox Lewis in his recent world heavyweight bout with Evander Holyfield, which saw Lewis wear the FCUK logo on his shorts, had seen its sales of similarly branded T-shirts soar.

In Britain the company says its businesses are "performing well in what continues to be very difficult market conditions", Mr Marks said, while the US retail business "is well ahead of last year at this stage."