[willtheperson]

It's kind of awesome that you can't lock down a style under legal means. It forces everyone to keep moving. It's probably also freeing to know that when you design something, you aren't going to be ripped apart because you were also inspired by some past design.

That said, it sucks for the designers who actually start the trend. What would be cool is if you, as a designer, could register your design just for the credit. That way, when the indie designer is looking for investment or a job, they can definitively say "I was the one who ... "

Dribbble/Linked in for fashion designers :)