Posts by admin@fashionlawinstitute.com
Inside Out 6
Bipartisan purple had a fashion moment on Inauguration Day in the United States, as Vice President Kamala Harris, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton all opted for powerful head-to-toe statements of unity in violet, purple, and plum. It's also a color that has variously represented royalty, the NACWC and the Black women's movement, women's suffrage, and Victorian half-mourning -- the latter relevant today as a sign of hope as we move past the depths of the pandemic and see new light at the end of the tunnel. Our 6th annual February fashion month event, "Inside Out 6 - Purple Reign: Fashion's in-house counsel on a new U.S. administration and a new world order," invokes this symbolism as we ask counsel from a range of fashion companies to share their legal insight and foresight on topics including sustainability, digital innovation, data privacy, bankruptcy, and diversity, equity, & inclusion. We look forward to seeing you on Friday, February 26, from 8:45-10:00am New York time -- in shades from lavender to ultraviolet, of course!
DATE: Friday, February 26, 2021
TIME: 8:45-10:00am
PLACE: Online via Zoom
NYS CLE: 1.5 hours professional practice, transitional and non-transitional
SPEAKERS:
- Nick Barnhorst, Vice President, Head of Legal & Regulatory, Fresh, Inc.
- Louise Firestone, SVP, Legal Affairs and General Counsel, LVMH Moët Hennesy Louis Vuitton Inc.
- Marie Funel, Corporate Counsel, Birchbox, Inc.
- Jeffrey Hellman, Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, PVH Corp.
- Ashley Valdes, Senior Counsel, Warby Parker
- Moderated by Professor Susan Scafidi, Founder & Director, Fashion Law Institute at Fordham
Happy Year of the Ox!
… and be sure to join us for our annual Fashion Month in-house counsel event, Inside Out 6!
Fashion Law Pop-Up Clinic
We’re here to help! A key part of the Fashion Law Institute’s mission is providing legal assistance to designers and fashion industry professionals, not only in the form of educational programming but also by offering free legal consultations. Long before the launch of the Institute, we realized that there was no fashion-specific pro bono legal program available, and that many emerging and independent designers lacked access to basic legal advice tailored to the fashion industry. With the help of the CFDA, we set out to fill that information gap.
Our series of Fashion Law Pop-Up Clinics matches each individual designer with a volunteer attorney who has both fashion experience and expertise related to the question at hand, along with an advanced student studying fashion law for extra assistance. (We came up with the “pop-up” name as a nod to retail pop-up stores – and a way to distinguish this program from traditional law school clinical courses.)
If you are a designer with a question or an attorney who would like to volunteer, please click here or email us for more information. Designers and other fashion industry professionals, please understand that we do not ordinarily arrange legal counsel apart from the Fashion Law Pop-Up Clinics and that space in this popular program is limited.
Have a smashing 2021!
We look forward to seeing you in the New Year!
Sign up in January for these upcoming events:
Inside Out 6: Fashion’s In-House Counsel
11th Annual Symposium
Dates to be announced soon!
Applications for our next online Fashion Law Bootcamp are also open!
And, if you’re feeling the spirit of the season, the glee of a holiday bonus, or simply the satisfaction of planning a tax deduction before the end of the year, please help us continue the work of the Fashion Law Institute with your donation. We’re a self-supporting 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and contributions at all levels are deeply appreciated!
Protected: Heirloom Silver CLE Materials
10th Annual Symposium
So, 2020. Every year our annual symposium is the highlight of the fashion law calendar, but as the coronavirus spread last spring, we postponed it and instead offered you the first online panel on fashion and the pandemic – and realized that hundreds more participants were able to join us simultaneously from all over the world.
We now bring you our 10th Annual Symposium, Silver Linings, running for four consecutive Fridays during fashion month and beyond. The pandemic may keep us working from home in loungewear for the moment, but we can still come together as a fashion law community to celebrate, interrogate, and advance the substance of style. YOU are the silver lining of 2020, and we look forward to seeing you online soon!
DATE: September 25 and October 2, 9, and 16, 2020
TIME: 8:45-10:00am New York time
NYS CLE: 6 hours total (see individual panels for details)
PLACE: Zoom webinar
SCHEDULE:
Quicksilver Deals: Tiffany v. LVMH and M&A in a pandemic
September 25, 2020
NYS CLE: 1.5 professional practice, transitional & non-transitional
SPEAKERS
Avery S. Fischer, EVP, GC, & Secretary, Ralph Lauren
Mark Fischer, EVP, GC, & Secretary, PVH
Vincent Fuller II, Associate, Fried Frank
Brien M. Wassner, Partner, Sidley Austin
MODERATOR: Professor Susan Scafidi, Founder & Director, Fashion Law Institute at Fordham
Heirloom Silver: The afterlife of brands
October 2, 2020
NYS CLE: 1.5 professional practice, transitional & non-transitional
SPEAKERS
Angela Byun, Principal, AB WORLD
Jeffrey Hellman, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, PVH Corp.
Colette Stanford, SVP-General Counsel, SPARC Group
MODERATOR: Professor Susan Scafidi, Founder & Director, Fashion Law Institute at Fordham
If you missed the panel, watch it here on demand.
Sterling Intentions: Is your diversity & inclusion plan legal?
October 9, 2020
NYS CLE: 1.0 diversity, inclusion, and elimination of bias; .5 ethics
SPEAKERS
Nancy Bishai, General Counsel, APP Group
Fiona W. Ong, Partner, Shawe Rosenthal LLP
Dana Sussman, Deputy Commissioner, Policy and Intergovernmental Affairs, New York City Commission on Human Rights
MODERATOR: Kenya Wiley, Founder and Policy Counsel, Fashion Innovation Alliance
If you missed the panel, watch it here on demand.
Silver Bullet? Mask policies, problems, and solutions
October 16, 2020
NYS CLE: 1.0 professional practice, transitional & non-transitional; .5 ethics
SPEAKERS
Ashley Brown, General Counsel, ONE Management
Abrima Erwiah, Co-Founder and President, Studio One Eighty Nine
Elisheva Hirshman, Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Employment & Litigation, PVH Corp.
John Maltbie, Director of Intellectual Property, Civil Enforcement, Louis Vuitton Americas
MODERATOR: Ariele Elia, Assistant Director, Fashion Law Institute at Fordham
If you registered previously for our 10th Annual Symposium, you will receive a separate email. And thank you!

Protected: Quicksilver Deals CLE Materials
Media Mentions 2020
2020 (selected)
‘Cultural Appropriation’: A Rivalrous Reaction to a Rivalrous Problem
Medium, December 26, 2020
Intellectual Property – A Way To Protect The ‘Expressions Of Folklore’
International Journal of Advanced Legal Research, December 11, 2020
Thank U, Next: Cultural Appropriation Has Overstayed Its Welcome
Let’s Give This Some Thought Podcast, December 7, 2020
How to Tell if Your Louis Vuitton is Fake
Budget Fashionista, December 5, 2020
Fashion (Law) Forward: An Interview with Professor Susan Scafidi
JLPP Cornell Journal of Law & Public Policy, November 23, 2020
Supreme x VF Corp Deal: What Does it Means For Supreme
New Culture, November 19, 2020
Access for All Requires Native Justice
Eloquent Magazine, November 14, 2020
The UK watchdog is tackling greenwashing. Will others?
Vogue Business, November 12, 2020
Will Supreme End Up in TJ Maxx?
Complex, November 12, 2020
Fashion Law in 2020: Part I
Fashion Law Chile, November 9, 2020
Who Owns Culture? There’s a Legal Side to the Issue of Cultural Appropriation
WWD, November 5, 2020
Is Kamala Harris’s Fashion Her Secret Weapon?
The Wall Street Journal, October 31, 2020
Trick nor Treat: the hounding of Halloween
The Critic, October 30, 2020
This is America: I’m a Black person who loves Halloween. Please stop ruining it for me
USA Today, October 29, 2020
“Stop Cooking Your Watered Down Versions of Asian Food”
Erica Lovelace Cooks, October 28, 2020
Offensive Halloween Costumes You Definitely Shouldn’t Wear
Latin Post, October 27, 2020
Photographer Under Fire for Using A Nude Photo in a Book After the Model Asked Him Not To
DIY Photography, October 8, 2020
What is Cultural Appropriation? Social Justice Usage
Dayz of Noah, October 26, 2020
Honoring Indigenous Wellness Practices
Similar Souls on Fire, October 12, 2020
US Legal Protections for TK & TCES, Gaps in Protection, and Indigenous Peoples’ Initiatives
Native American Rights Fund, October 19, 2020
Kanye West Wants a Board Seat at Gap and Adidas. We Break Down What That Means and if It’s Possible.
Complex, October 6, 2020
All Shook Up: The Politics of Cultural Appropriation
Dissent, October 5, 2020
CLL Hosts First Virtual Fashion Pop-Up Clinic
Cowan, Leibowitz, & Latman, September 29, 2020
On the Rise: Patricia M. Flanagan
Law.com, September 28, 2020
Can Black Lives Matter Finally Fix the Fashion Industry?
Cosmopolitan, September 25, 2020
This year’s election matters to fashion and humanity more than ever
Fashionista, September 24, 2020
For Fashion Week, the industry tries to reinvent itself
Marketplace, September 24, 2020
Belgian designer accuses Virgil Abloh of copying. Again.
Art Daily, September 18, 2020
When Non-Native People Burn Sage, It’s Cultural Appropriation—And We Don’t Support It
Well + Good, September 18, 2020
COVID Crisis in Fashion Industry Affects Women and Families, Fordham Experts Say
Fordham News, September 15, 2020
Demystifying Your Office Dress Code Policy
Eden, September 10, 2020
What is cultural appropriation? Examples and definition of the term after Adele is criticised for use of Bantu Knots
The Scotsman, September 2, 2020
What is the definition of cultural appropriation – and why is it bad?
Horncastle News, September 2, 2020
Decoding Fashion Industry: Need for Fashion Law
Legal Wires, September 1, 2020
Is The ‘Fox Eye’ Makeup Trend Racist Toward Asians?
Huffpost, August 31, 2020
Mexico: Fashion Law
ECIJA, August 27, 2020
Belgian Designer Accuses Virgil Abloh of Copying. Again.
The New York Times, August 13, 2020
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Names Interim Director
Hollywood Reporter, August 13, 2020
So Ordered: The Messy Nature of Dress Codes
Die Workwear, August 13, 2020
Brands Claim Their Clothes Kill Viruses. Will Consumers Buy It?
Business of Fashion, August 10, 2020
Forever 21 goes from rags to riches to bankruptcy court
Spectacular Failures, August 10, 2020
The Difference Between Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Appreciation
Passion Passport, August 7, 2020
SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION
Italian American Chamber of Commerce, July 28, 2020
Careers in Geek Fashion
ComicCon@Home2020, July 26, 2020
“Crazy” Talk: Mental Health, Pop Culture, and the Pandemic
ComicCon@Home 2020, July 24, 2020
Will Halloween be canceled? What costumes will be culturally appropriate amid racial reckoning
ABC News, July 22, 2020
Cultural Appropriation Was Always Inexcusable
Instyle, July 15, 2020
Kanye West’s Deal with Gap is Unprecedented. Here’s Why.
Complex, July 13, 2020
Brooks Brothers files for bankruptcy
Marketplace, July 8, 2020
Are Robots Coming For Models’ Jobs?
Elle, July 8, 2020
Fashion and law are increasing the degree courses and masters
Il Sole 24, July 8, 2020
The new corporate swag: Branded masks, sanitizer spray bottles and Zoom vanity light rings
Washington Post, July 2, 2020
Why Fashion Brands and Their Retail Landlords Are Suing Each Other
Business of Fashion, June 26, 2020
Stephen Sidkin speaking at UAL and Fashion Law Institute webinar, 25 June 2020
Fox Williams, June 24, 2020
Best Graduate Schools
US News, June 23, 2020
Guide to Career in Fashion Law; Work Profile, Opportunities and Scope
Legal Desire, June 22, 2020
A Guide to Understanding and Avoiding Cultural Appropriation
ThoughtCo., June 18, 2020
Fashion questions now – Professor Susan Scafidi & Jeff Trexler
University of the Arts London, June 16, 2020
Lessons Learned: Alumni Reflect on Navigating New Careers in Tough Times
Fordham Law News, June 11, 2020
Innovative Solutions to Fast Fashion Challenges
Environmental Law Institute, June 10, 2020
New Remote Networking Program Fosters Alumni-Student Relationships
Fordham Law News, June 4, 2020
TV host Jimmy Fallon apologizes for wearing blackface in old SNL clip after being slammed on social media
Asia Ville News, May 27, 2020
Going Viral: Fashion, Law, and the Coronavirus
Fordham Law News, April 29, 2020
How Fashion Is Navigating The COVID-19 Pandemic
US Chamber of Commerce, April 16, 2020
Collaboration, Compassion Key for Supply Chain Crisis Management
Sourcing Journal, April 2, 2020
Modeling Agencies Feeling the Pain, Developing Digital Solutions
WWD, March 31, 2020
What Fashion Brands Need to Know about the Stimulus Package
Business of Fashion, March 27, 2020
Experts Unpack the Massive Cross-Industry Impact of the Coronavirus
US Chamber of Commerce, March 20, 2020
Living & Working In the New Reality
Look Online, March 19, 2020
Fashion as Art: Rights and Remedies in the Age of Social Media
MDPI, March 11, 2020
Coronavirus, Cancellations, and Contracts
WWD, March 10, 2020
Watch the Careers In Gaming Fashion Panel From PAX East 2020
Geekfold, March 5, 2020
The fight for the Phillie Phanatic: Who owns the essence of an iconic mascot?
The Score, March 4, 2020
TikTok teens are obsessed with fake luxury products
CNBC, March 1, 2020
The Law and Ethics on Cultural Appropriation
Durham University, February 28, 2020
How to Tell if your Louis Vuitton is Fake
Budget Fashionista, February 27, 2020
Phillie Phanatic Fight Shines Spotlight on Copyright Licensing
Bloomberg Law, February 26, 2020
The Origin of Fashion Law And It’s Arrival in Spain
Enrique Ortega Burgos, February 22, 2020
Dressing For The Campaign Trail Can Be Tough For Female Candidates
Washington Post, February 19, 2020
Fashion Laws with comparison
Be Attractive, February 18, 2020
Fashion Between Inspiration and Appropriation
MDPI, February 12, 2020
Forever 21 get $81 Million Stalking-Horse Bid From ABG, Landlords
WWD, February 3, 2020
Can Beyoncé or Adidas Sue Popeyes Over Ivy Park-Inspired Collection?
Complex, January 31, 2020
Fashion Law Speaker- The Intersection of Copyright and Fashion
Cornell, January 31, 2020
Fashion Law Professional Development Workshop
University of Arts London, January 31, 2020
Creation, Destruction, and the Future of Fashion
Fordham Intellectual Property, Media, & Entertainment Law Journal, January 30, 2020
Albany Strip Club Must Face Carmen Electra Image Use Claims (3)
Bloomberg Law, January 29, 2020
The Failure of the Forever 21 Empire
January 17, 2020
Rosita Arvigo on Cultural Appropriation
Lotus Womb, January 7, 2020
Multiculturalism, or Culture or Appropriation
City Journal, January 3 , 2020
Thursday 6/25 event: CSM x FLI
In a world challenged by COVID-19 lockdowns and other political struggles and ethical concerns, the fashion industry is united in our search for new business strategies. How can fashion designers and businesses protect themselves amidst a global recession? What does the revision of the fashion calendar mean for sales cycles, and should the industry be setting a common calendar at all? What are the best ways for fashion brands and media outlets to address diversity and inclusion? Is sustainability sustainable when companies are struggling to survive? This special event co-hosted with Central Saint Martins will explore how fashion professionals and companies can adapt to these and other emerging challenges, with speakers including Professors Susan Scafidi and Jeff Trexler along with other industry guests.
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
- Abisade Adenubi, Heritage Apparels
- John Maltbie, Louis Vuitton
- Don M. Obert, The Obert Law Firm
- Stephen Sidkin, Fox Williams
- Jeff Trexler, Moda Legal
- Gary Wassner, Hilldun
- Moderator: Professor Susan Scafidi, Fashion Law Institute
SCOTUS on trans rights, dress codes
The Supreme Court has released its landmark ruling in Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC, which is consolidated under Bostock v. Clayton County. Key passages and the whole ruling PDF below — in brief, the Court holds that it is illegal to fire someone for being transgender, but the ruling expressly does not reach the issue of dress codes.