KEY POINTS:
Several months after reaching an out-of-court settlement with fashion industry giant Trelise Cooper, Central Otago-based fashion designer Tamsin Cooper says she is enjoying being able to focus solely on developing her range of accessories.
The designers reached a settlement in July, ending a 20-month legal battle instigated by Trelise Cooper, who objected to Tamsin Cooper registering her own name as a trademark.
The matter went as far as the High Court, where Trelise Cooper argued their names were too similar and caused confusion for consumers.
Trelise Cooper is a fashion designer with an international reputation and annual turnover of $15 million, while Tamsin Cooper works from Arrowtown creating silk accessories and boutique clothing, has a turnover of $250,000 and describes herself as a fashion accessory designer.
Speaking to NZPA yesterday from her Auckland central hotel suite, Tamsin Cooper said with the lawsuit behind her she has been able to concentrate on her label at Fashion Week. This is the third time Cooper has attended the trade event. Her profile since last year had grown, thanks in no small part to the publicity from the legal battle and the subsequent settlement, and Tamsin Cooper said most buyers wanted to talk to her about it. "They all want to know about it and they are all very positive."
Tamsin Cooper has not seen Trelise Cooper since she has been in Auckland. "I'm just a country mouse hiding in my hotel suite," she said laughing.
Tamsin Cooper said with her energy not channelled into the lawsuit she had been able to focus on expanding her brand. "It's very pleasant not to have that attention."
Her range of coats - "the ultimate accessory" - has doubled and along with necklaces and bracelets, she is developing a line of travel accessories, including travel tags and overnight bags.
In the next two weeks her growing business, which still operates out of her Arrowtown home, will go online, with Cooper hoping to capture a larger market share through internet shopping.
She works closely with the manufacturers of her designs, a family-based company in Vietnam.
This month she attended a state banquet in honour of the visiting Vietnamese President at Parliament, along with Prime Minister Helen Clark, an event she described as a huge honour.
Her label and her Vietnam connection was not "just about the money, it's about keeping the traditional handcraft alive."
Cooper has plans to begin developing export markets and with the legal issues out of the way she can now also focus on how her label trades.
Cooper said this year's Fashion Week had been her best yet and she was keen just to focus on the future and making the most of opportunities.
- NZPA
