Welcome to Fashion Law!

Fashion is a multibillion-dollar global industry that directly affects all of us ever day -- or at least those of us who wear clothes.  As such, it gives rise to a wide range of cutting-edge legal issues.  The Fashion Law Wiki is dedicated to sharing information about the law and business of fashion in all of its many forms.

Origins of the Fashion Law Wiki

Fashion law is a brand-new legal field.  Sure, designers and fashion houses have always hired attorneys to deal with various issues, but fashion law has never been a standard practice area.  Big law firms don't list it among their specialties (yet), professional organizations don't have fashion law sections, and it's definitely not on the bar exam.

 

In fact, "Fashion Law" had never existed as a course at any U.S. law school until Spring 2008, when Professor Susan Scafidi offered it at Fordham Law School (with the encouragement of many students and colleagues and excellent research assistance from Suzana Carlos, J.D. '08).  Rather than just term papers or exams that would ultimately end up in a landfill, the class assignments took the form of a wiki in order to share research about law, business, and fashion. 

 

The Fashion Law Wiki began as a way of learning the subject and a resource for readers.  And if it helps set the parameters for a new field of law, we're happy to do that, too.

 

 

(Note:  Professor Scafidi's personal website relating to law & fashion, www.CounterfeitChic.com, has been in existence since 2005 and is not part of the Fashion Law Wiki -- but  you're welcome to visit.)

 

Fashion Law Course Outline

Fashion Law is an exploration of the legal substance of style, with emphasis on issues relating to the global fashion industry. The course consists of four sections, organized according to the life cycle of a garment from idea to wearer: Intellectual Property, Business & Finance, International Trade & Government Regulation, and Consumer Culture & Civil Rights. For a summary of Professor Scafidi's Spring 2008 syllabus, click here.

Interested in Contributing to the Fashion Law Wiki?

During the Spring 2008 and 2009 semesters, only members of the Fashion Law course at Fordham have been invited to contribute to the wiki -- in other words, we'll beta-test it for you. But if you're interested in joining the project, and we hope that you are, please contact us with your suggestions or send your email address (lawyers, law students, designers, members of the industry, journalists, and others with knowledge of law, business, & fashion are welcome).

Obligatory but Important Legal Disclamer

The Fashion Law Wiki is intended to be a source of information -- not legal advice. While we hope that all contributors will do their best to provide accurate information, we cannot guarantee that the entries are current or correct. The Fashion Law Wiki is no substitute for consulting a lawyer.