Having been in the upmarket publishing business for many years, it is hard sometimes not to be cynical about brands and what they mean to us as consumers. I thought I would make a random list of brands that give me a special thrill - for a wide variety of reasons.

1 Marni - when I went back to work at Vogue magazine in 2006 as features editor, I was surrounded by the most gorgeous clothes, jewellery and shoes. You literally cannot move without tripping over bags, and boxes. The one brand that really made my heart sing was Marni. Clothes designed for real women with bodies. The world is now catching up with me, and fashion is swinging the Marni way - but for many years this incredibly innovative brand was a secret known only to the few.

2 Aldo - the other brand that all the Voguettes wore all the time was Aldo. This is very much a high-street shoe store, but the designs are great, the prices keen - and they are pretty cutting edge too. I associate Aldo with summer parties in gardens and being able to wear high wedge sandals.

3 Veuve Clicquot - years ago I edited something called The Veuve Clicquot Guide to the Season, and learned not only how to spell it but also that drinking it was something I liked to do. The Widow, as it is known, will not let you down when it comes to champagne. I can't say that for all champagne brands.

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4 The White Company - two reasons why I love this brand: one, it was entirely innovative at the time, and Christian Rucker, its owner and originator, noted a gap in the market and jumped right in. White sheets and towels, how simple was that - proving that simple ideas beautifully executed do a successful business make. The other reason was that I loved the book, by Arthur Conan Doyle, and associate it with long hot Italian summers when I read it.

5 Astley Clarke - another simple clever idea with a young woman at the helm. Gorgeous, wearable jewellery, simply presented and sold online. I'll have those amethyst earrings for Christmas, please.

6 Sony - huge brand this of course. But memories of the liberation afforded by the Sony Walkman don't go away quickly. Later, my trusty Pressman accompanied me on many an interview with interesting people. Small and discreet, they forgot it was there and talked and talked. Result.

7 Christian Dior - when I first went to work in Vogue House, I was books assistant and one of the first books we did was a history and biography of Dior. I had always loved the femininity of the New Look (small waist, big skirt) but was so absorbed in all the rest of it. These days, I love the make-up and Miss Dior, and looking at John Galliano's couture shows online.