Ex-stylist ordered to pay U2 court battle costs

Former U2 stylist Lola Cashman was facing a massive legal bill today after she was ordered to pay the costs of a court battle over ownership of the rock band’s memorabilia.

The Dublin Circuit Court ordered Ms Cashman to pay the costs of U2’s successful lawsuit against her earlier this month.

It is believed the legal costs could run into tens of thousands of euro.

The band sued Lola Cashman to recover Bono’s iconic Stetson, a pair of metal hooped earrings, a green sweatshirt and a pair of black trousers, which she took without permission during the band’s Joshua Tree tour in 1987.

Counsel for Ms Cashman has confirmed she has lodged an appeal against the decision.

Earlier this month, Judge Matthew Deery ordered Ms Cashman to return the items to the band within seven days.

Judge Deery said he preferred the evidence of Bono, that he had not given the stylist permission to take the items, which were estimated to be worth around €5,000.

The band told the court they would never have given the material away – as they would have kept them for their archives or for donations to museums like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, US.

Bono likened the idea of giving away his iconic Stetson to the Edge parting with one of his guitars.

U2 have said they took their former stylist to court out of principle rather than because of the value of the goods she had taken.

Ms Cashman told the court she was given the items as gifts by Bono, who had recruited her to update the band’s image in the 1980s.

The band took the case after Ms Cashman attempted to put the rock memorabilia up for sale at Christie’s in London.

U2’s lawyers sent the stylist two letters in April 2002 seeking the return of the goods.

Ms Cashman had been personally hired by Bono in 1987 to replace their stylist who was on maternity leave.

She left the band in 1988 after they considered her price excessive, and went on to work as a stylist with George Michael and the Pet Shop Boys.

Ms Cashman used much of the material from her work with the band to write a book, Inside the Zoo with U2, in 2003.

The book detailed the problems Bono had with his weight, trivial items such as missing teeth from the Edge’s comb and food-stained white t-shirts worn by drummer Larry Mullen.