Fashionista attended a wonderful event last Thursday organised by the networking group Women in Law. The evening was hosted by the inspiring Catherine Palmer, General Counsel of luxury fashion brand Joseph at Joe’s Cafe established by the label’s founder Joseph Ettedgui because he needed somewhere to go for lunch which was close to his shop! From his favourite table in the restaurant he could look out and survey the comings and goings of his flagship store.

Catherine’s own career story was fascinating. She explained that she’s had two previous careers, teaching and then lexicography before deciding on law. She trained at Slaughters and decided against a qualification seat in M&A (referred to as “Death Row” by the then trainees) to join Browne Jacobson’s French Team. It was there that she began advising fashion businesses, and this led to her being approached some years later to join Joseph. As well as handling all legal issues, Catherine explained that she is also responsible for a number of other non-legal functions within the business including HR and Security which can lead to unusual and interesting challenges. 

Catherine explained that she had not planned her career but rather took the opportunities that presented themselves. She was inspired by many people around her but made particular reference to her grandmother who was an intellectual despite her traditional upbringing in Beverley,Yorkshire. She studied at Somerville College, Oxford at a time when the university did not award degrees to women despite their attendance at lectures, studying hard and sitting the exams. When in later years, her grandmother received a letter from Oxford inviting her to attend a graduation and collect her degree, she politely responded declining the invitation and explaining that she had considered herself a graduate since her university days. The lesson she passed on to Catherine was that, as women, we can and should make our own decisions about what we do in life.

As this Fashionista stood, surrounded by a range of women at different stages in their career and from a wide range of backgrounds, she was struck by just how far women have come in the last century. And yet, even now that today women outnumber men in terms of the number of trainee solicitors and new qualifieds entering the profession, women remain a minority at the top of the profession whether as partners in private practice or sitting on the Board. While Lord Davies’ report  favours a quota system to reverse the gender imbalance, many of the women attending last night’s event disliked the notion that after all the years of hard work, they should not be selected on merit when achieving the highest positions of responsibility.  When there are so many amazing women in law and fashion why are women not in fashion when it comes to the top jobs? Fashionista would be interested in her readers’ views on the subject.