How to create BRAND LOYALTY?

What do most legal experts recommend today to an upcoming fashion designer: to use his own name as a brand or to create a different name as a brand?

• Is it safer to create a non-eponymous fashion brand name in case one wishes to sell it later to a luxury group, yet continue to work as a designer? What is the smart thing to do? Some very talented fashion designers use a different brand name -yet fully or partly owned by themselves- rather than their own eponymous brand. While most fashion designers that have created their own brand seem to use their own name, many have gotten into legal issues and complex disputes for giving exclusive rights on their names. During his reign as fashion king, Halston signed many licensing deals  that helped boost his career. During this time however his name was  being licensed over to products which had nothing to do with him or his  fashions (like toilet seats). As a result of the JC Penny fiasco Berdorf  Goodman decided to drop Halston’s hat collection. Everything Halston  had worked for came to a screeching halt when in 1983 Norton Simon was  sold to consumer goods company Beatrice  (which also owned playtex).  Halston and the company were at odds with each other, especially when  they forced him to move out of his Olympic Tower headquarters in New  York City where he had been for years. By 1984 they fired him from his  own company and he was unable to sell or design clothes under his own  name. Despite this he still made clothes for friends like Liza Minnelli  and choreographer Martha Graham.

• Answer:

  Honestly, I think it depends on what your name is. If it's unique sounding enough, then go ahead and us it. Whether it's the name as a whole, or just the last name. I find most American names to be pretty bland.