New Year Honours for Fashion Industry Icons

The most recent hot list was not a waiting list for the latest "it" bag for a change but for something rather more sought after and for a change something that money can't buy. Fashionista was delighted to see that some of her fellow fashionistas have been recognised in the New Years Honours List 2010 for all of their outstanding work for the British fashion industry.

Among those honoured was Luella Bartley, who, despite having had a financially troublesome 2009, has started 2010 in a somewhat more uplifting manner, having been awarded the MBE for her services to the fashion industry. And speaking of uplifting, Michelle Mone, founder of Ultimo MJM International, has also been honoured with an OBE for her services to the lingerie industry.

Fashionista is also thrilled that Amanda Wakeley was honoured with an OBE for not just her services to the fashion industry, but also her exceptional charity work as one of the founders of Fashion Targets Breast Cancer. Catherine Kidston was also given the MBE for her services to business, as the founder and creative director of Cath Kidston.

Others honoured for their services to fashion were legendary milliner Stephen Jones (OBE), tailor Timothy Everest (MBE) and designer and master tailor Imtaz Khaliq (MBE).

Fashionista was over the moon to see the number of fashionistas being recognised in what has been a challenging year for the retail industry. Who knows maybe next year Fashionista will find herself on the most coveted list in town … one can dream!

And the price of your own name is . . . .?

Fashionista has learnt that Amanda Wakeley sold her remaining share in the Amanda Wakeley brand in December 2008 - only to buy it again 4 months later for an estimated £1 million. The brand was sold last year to Arvoco, which has sinced worked to restructure the company. Amanda Wakeley now has full control of the business - and of the intellectual property in her eponymous brand - for the first time in 10 years.

Fashionista sees this as a lucky return and is all too aware of the pitfalls to designers developing their names into well known brands and then losing control of their names - especially when, as a fashion designer, your name is such a large part of who you are and what you do. Elizabeth Emanuel - famed for designing Princess Diana's wedding dress - knows of such pitfalls only too well. After assigning the goodwill and rights to her name in 1996, Elizabeth Emanuel subsequently sought to oppose a trade mark application for "Elizabeth Emanuel" by the eventual assignee. The issue was referred to the ECJ, which rightly concluded that Elizabeth Emanuel's opposition could not stand because, if it could, assignments of goodwill and intellectual property would effectively become meaningless.

The moral of the story? Treat assingments cautiously and be careful as to what rights you are giving away to your name, particularly when your name is such a fundamental part of what you do and how you are known in your industry. Fashionista would certainly be cross if her name were attributed to a style, trend or item of clothing which she didn't particularly like or want to endorse and congratulates Ms Wakeley on once again being able to control how her name is used.