The V&A’s Lauren Sizeland is honoured with special accolade.
Having devoted countless years to championing the brand and heritage sector, Lauren Sizeland – head of licensing and business development at the V&A – was honoured at last week’s Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards with the special Brand Ambassador of the Year accolade.
Lauren has been the custodian of the V&A brand for more than 14 years and during this time has taken the British art heritage brand to the mainstream.
From impressive bespoke furniture collections with a leading UK department store to pop-up shops in China; from collaborations with a major footwear retailer to an award winning collaboration with a licensing lingerie virgin, she has done it all.
“This was totally unexpected and I was quite overwhelmed by the announcement. I’m not easily lost for words, but on this occasion I was,” Lauren told Source. “Now, having had some time to reflect, I am truly grateful for this accolade. I am incredibly fortunate to have the authority to licence the world’s most magnificent archive of decorative arts. This belongs to our nation and the assets offer boundless opportunities and I have the good fortune to work with a very talented team and licensees who share my passion to take the nation’s treasure trove and apply it to a huge variety of product ranges for the enjoyment of audiences across the globe.
“That is a constant source of inspiration for me and it is an absolute privilege that I am afforded to cultivate a licensing programme. Admittedly, it is a big responsibility to be trusted to develop merchandise and pop-up shops for one of the nation’s most highly respected brands, but it is exciting, fun and thoroughly rewarding, always in the back of my mind knowing that all our profits are for the benefit of the ongoing learning and enjoyment for all of us and for future generations. It is a lifetime opportunity that I continually cherish and will never take for granted.”
Lauren continued: “Although I’m not too keen on surprises, I am truly honoured to be presented with this award and the recognition it stands for. I am so grateful to all those who have supported and believed in me over the years, particularly my team and our licensees, who patiently endure my constant strive for perfection.
“Also, to my friends and colleagues across the industry, to Brandcomply for sponsoring the award and to Max Publishing for putting on yet another fantastic awards event. Sincere thanks to you all – this is one of the proudest moments of my life.”
The Brand Licensing Ambassador of the Year award was sponsored by BrandComply.com.
Want to read more news like this? Simply sign up to our daily digest by clicking here. You can also follow @LicensingSource on Twitter.
