Posts by admin@fashionlawinstitute.com

Thanks to all of our participants for a wonderful event! 

3^nd annual Fashion Law Institute symposium

Friday, April 19, 2013

Looking for the substance behind the style?  Join the Fashion Law Institute for our 3^rd annual symposium, “Well Dressed,” an all-day event on Friday, April 19, at Fordham Law School.

SOLD OUT!

9:30am     Welcome!

9:45-10:45am     Well Spoken:  Litigating the Fashion Law Case, in Court and in the Public Eye

Photographers’ flashes can be as blinding outside the courtroom as they are on the runway when the docket is focused on fashion.  Litigating a high-stakes, high-interest case involves more than just legal prowess.  It requires a carefully crafted public relations campaign designed to navigate the 24-hour news cycle and the patience to explain complex legal questions to both the judge and the media-hungry public, thus bridging two worlds, one in black robes and the other in little black dresses.

11am-12pm     Wishing Well: Exploring the Fashion/Philanthropy Connection

Whether via a runway show, a special sale, or a product promoting a cause or supporting an organization, the fashion industry is particularly eager to give back to those in need and advance the public good.  Sometimes otherwise unrelated philanthropic efforts also turn to fashion as a means to create employment or draw attention to a social issue.  But even helping humanity requires paperwork.  From advertising to tax returns, it’s important that those who do good know how to do it well.

12-1:30pm     Lunch (Well seasoned, we hope!)

1:30-2:30pm     Well Done! Eco-Chic, FTC Guidelines, and What it Means to Be Green

The Pantone color of the year for 2013 may be emerald, but green fashion isn’t just a color trend – it’s an ethical choice by designers who are embracing a sustainable approach to fashion without sacrificing style.  Recently, the Federal Trade Commission updated its Green Guides, which provide instruction as to when products and advertisements may include words, certifications, and claims about the environment.  How can fashion houses continue to go green, and how can they share that commitment with the public?

2:45-3:45pm     Well Made: Fashioning the Supply Chain

Every season consumers rush to stores in search of the latest fashions, often with little attention to how the garments they buy are actually made. Now and then, however, a tragedy occurs, and reports of child labor, low wages, and hazardous sweatshop conditions make headlines. These reports are even more troubling when the clothing factories involved have been inspected and certified as complying with international labor standards.  What can we – fashion houses, standards-setting organizations, governments, the public – do to monitor the supply chain?                         

4-5pm    Well Proportioned: 3D Printing, Law, and the Future of Fashion

Just spilled wine on your new Spring 2025 jacket? No problem – just print out a new outfit. Even now, in its early stages, 3D printing is lauded as the future of fashion. It has the potential to spark innovation, encourage sustainability, and promote accessibility to new styles.  But like the photocopier and the internet in previous generations, this new technology also raises questions for those in the creative, manufacturing, and business sectors of the fashion industry. What are the legal dimensions of the 3D revolution?

5-6pm    Reception:  All’s Well That Ends Well

Speakers include Carmen Artigas, Viva La Vida NY; Francis Bitonti, Francis Bitonti Studio; Allen Bromberger, Perlman & Perlman; Christopher R. Chase, Frankfurt Kurnit; Christie Daly, Social Accountability International; Louis S. Ederer, Arnold & Porter; Chris Giglio, HL Group; Eric Gottwald, International Labor Rights Forum; Steven Greenhouse, New York Times; Jyotin Hamid, Debevoise & Plimpton; Hugh Hansen, Fordham; Mary Huang, Continuum Fashion; Michael Kelly, Kenyon & Kenyon; Laura Kim, Federal Trade Commission; John M. Kline, Georgetown; Steven Kolb, CFDA; Harley Lewin, McCarter & English; Diana Mao, Nomi Network; Joseph F. Murphy, Law Offices of Joseph F. Murphy; Organic by John Patrick; Britton Payne, 30Ninjas; Rachel Rigby, U.S. Department of Labor; Susan Scafidi, Fashion Law Institute at Fordham; Michael Schmidt, Michael Schmidt Studios; Duann Scott, Shapeways; Robert D. Stang, Husch Blackwell; Alexandra Steigrad, WWD; Rachelle Stern, Macy’s; Jeff Trexler, Esq.

Above: The complete video of the Fashion Law Institute’s S/S14 runway show in the Lincoln Center tents at New York Fashion Week, September 6, 2013. If the video is not visible, click here.

In celebration of our 3rd anniversary,  we selected a small group of the designers whom we assisted through our Fashion Law Pop-Up Clinic program to join us during New York Fashion Week in the tents at Lincoln Center and showcase their collections. Designs by Blaise Kavanagh (women’s sportswear in the tradition of fine craftsmanship), PHYN (stylish surfwear), Cabiria (plus – yes, the first collection in the tents), A RAY (sustainable fashion), Ex Ovo (modern jewelry), and Sievering (evening, bridal, and post-mastectomy designs) walked the runway.  Details regarding each look in order of appearance are available in the run of show.

MEDIA: Please email admin@fashionlawinstitute.com for additional information.

In collaboration with the Museum at FIT and in conjunction with its current exhibition, Fashion and Technology, we’re delighted to invite you to join us for a panel discussion, “The Technology Trap: Fashion Copying, and the Speed of Information.” Fashion designers and labels face complex new challenges as technology continues to advance exponentially. Of particular interest to this panel will be issues of design ownership and intellectual property rights. Panelists include Te Smith, of the online brand protection company MarkMonitor, who will explain the relationship between information technology and copying; distinguished fashion designer Jeffrey Banks, who has testified in Congress regarding the proposed extension of intellectual property protection to fashion designs and whose designs are available online; Professor Susan Scafidi, who will speak on the legal aspects of copyright and piracy; and Ariele Elia and Emma McClendon, curators of the Fashion and Technology exhibition.

DATE:  Wednesday, March 6
TIME:  6:00 pm
PLACE:  Fashion Institute of Technology, Katie Murphy Amphitheatre, Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center (NW corner of 27th Street & 7th Avenue, across 27th Street from the Museum at FIT)

FREE, but please register to guarantee admission.  CLE credit is not available for this event.

Participants are invited to enjoy the Fashion and Technology exhibit at the Museum at FIT either before the panel or afterward until 8pm with the curators.  And speaking of impressive technology, save time to view Shoe Obsession (currently open) and Boots: The Height of Fashion (opening March 5) as well!

Were you too late to register for this SOLD OUT event on February 8?  Stuck in the snow?  Or perhaps just wearing shoes too cool to risk in a blizzard? 

Now you can watch the video!  This is a beta test for us, and we hope to improve the resolution of the slides in the future — if we repeat the experiment.  Which is where you come in. 

We’ve made the video available free of charge this time to see what you think.  Are you interested in our continuing to record events (with panelists’ agreement)? If you are an attorney, would you be interested in receiving CLE credit via video?  If so, please let us know below.  On the one hand, joining us in person means networking opportunities — we know of at least 3 deals developed during this event — the ability to participate and ask questions, and of course champagne.  On the other hand, we know that while you’d love to earn a Fashion Law Institute perfect attendance star, sometimes life interferes.

We’d also love to hear your thoughts about the video itself! 

(Please note that we cannot offer CLE credit for viewing the event video — this time.  But it’s all about a love of fashion law knowledge anyway, right?)