Who's the Style Influencer of the Year?

Nicole Richie has been named Style Influencer of the Year at the Accesories Council Excellence (ACE) Awards. The ceremony took place in New York, with attendees including models Agyness Deyn and Petra Nemcova, and designers such as Christian Louboutin and Diane von Furstenberg.

Nicole Richie has been named Style Influencer of the Year at the Accesories Council Excellence (ACE) Awards. The ceremony took place on Monday, November 7 in New York, with attendees including models Agyness Deyn and Petra Nemcova, and designers such as Christian Louboutin and Diane von Furstenberg.

Taking place annually, America's ACE Awards were created in 1996 to credit those who have raised awareness of the accessories industry, with retailers, fashion press and the Accessories Council Board of Directors selecting honorees.

Beginning her career as a reality TV star alongside socialite Paris Hilton in The Simple Life, Nicole is one of numerous television personalities including Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port to venture into the design arena.

Debuting in 2008, Richie's House of Harlow 1960 jewelry line was followed by the womenswear line Winter Kate last year.

Both collections are available internationally in department stores including America's Bergdorf Goodman and Britain's Selfridges. House of Harlow 1960 can also be purchased online from across the globe.

Her success proves that celebrity fashion lines can gain credibility in the fashion industry which can sometimes be reluctant to embrace such stars.

Another such case is former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. Beckham, whose eponymous dress collection debuted at New York Fashion Week in 2008, is nominated in the Emerging British Luxury Brand category at the annual Walpole Awards for Excellence on November 14.

Beckham will also compete with fashion heavyweights such as Stella McCartney and Tom Ford in the Designer Brand category at the upcoming British Fashion Awards 2011 on November 28.