Unzipped

Unzipped event announcement illustrated with pink smiley-face icon with an unzipped zipper for a moutn

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT AND REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.
We look forward to seeing you at a future event!

Fashion is a regular subject of editorial critique, whether as art or commerce, but fashion houses and industry professionals who receive negative attention are unlikely to appreciate the media spotlight.  In extreme cases, fashion editors -- who rely on invitations, unlike restaurant or theater critics -- have been banned from runway shows.  Journalists and social media commenters have also been threatened with defamation and invasion of privacy claims by irate fashion designers, brands, and photographers, both in the U.S. and in other jurisdictions.  How do fashion critics balance access and candor, whether covering collections, reporting news, or analyzing the industry?  Do anti-defamation lawsuits have a chilling effect on expression?  Can anti-SLAPP laws balance free speech concerns?  Please join

  • Award-winning fashion journalist and author Teri Agins;
  • Lindsey Schuyler and Tony Liu, the duo behind Diet Prada (infamously sued by Dolce & Gabbana);
  • Italian attorney Marco Amorese;
  • Jeff Trexler, Fashion Ethics professor at Fordham and an expert on banned books; and
  • Professor Susan Scafidi, founder and director of the Fashion Law Institute,

for a Fashion Law Institute panel discussion, "Unzipped! Law and the Art of Speaking Truth to Fashion."

DATE: Thursday, November 9, 2023
TIME: 9:30-10:45am (continental breakfast at 9am)
PLACE: Fordham School of Law, 150 W.62nd St., New York, NY. 10023
NYS CLE: 1.5 hours professional practice, transitional and non-transitional

For more information about the Institute or the CLE hardship policy, please contact us at events@fashionlawinstitute.com.

Fashion Week Panel: Designing Diversity II

Gold ribbon and Fashion Law Institute needle-and-spool gavel logo

Fashion has taken strides toward greater racial diversity – but as we anticipated in our panel discussion last fall, the U.S. Supreme Court has effectively eviscerated affirmative action, a key civil rights tool for over half a century.  While the opinion addressed college admissions policies, its reasoning is far broader, and follow-on cases challenging corporate internships and scholarships are already on the horizon.  Could a pledge to stock more products from an underrepresented group, a hiring strategy intended to achieve racial or other forms of diversity, or a program of targeted support for minority designers now be considered unconstitutional?  How might the decision affect existing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs?  And what are the best legal and ethical strategies for collecting the dividends of diversity and promoting the full spectrum of style in light of the Court's decision?  Our panel of experts for "Designing Diversity after Affirmative Action, Part II" will discuss these questions and more.  Join us at the beginning of New York Fashion Week to celebrate the Fashion Law Institute's 13th anniversary and engage in one of our favorite roles:  cutting-edge analysis and constructive problem solving.

DATE: Friday, September 8, 2023
TIME: 9:30-10:45am (breakfast 9am)
PLACE: Fordham Law, 150  W. 62nd St., 2nd floor (Bateman Room)
NYS CLE: 1.5 hours Ethics and Professionalism, transitional and non-transitional

SPEAKERS:
Angie Byun, AB World
Hayley Macon, Endeavor
Jeff Trexler, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Kenya Wiley, Georgetown University

MODERATOR:
Professor Susan Scafidi
Founder & Director, Fashion Law Institute

Due to the social significance of this topic, there is no required registration fee. Voluntary donations are welcome – and tax-deductible!

Register now!

Designing Diversity 2: After Affirmative Action

Gold ribbon and Fashion Law Institute needle-and-spool gavel logo

Fashion has taken strides toward greater racial diversity – but as we anticipated in our panel discussion last fall, the U.S. Supreme Court has effectively eviscerated affirmative action, a key civil rights tool for over half a century.  While the opinion addressed college admissions policies, its reasoning is far broader, and follow-on cases challenging corporate internships and scholarships are already on the horizon.  Could a pledge to stock more products from an underrepresented group, a hiring strategy intended to achieve racial or other forms of diversity, or a program of targeted support for minority designers now be considered unconstitutional?  How might the decision affect existing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs?  And what are the best legal and ethical strategies for collecting the dividends of diversity and promoting the full spectrum of style in light of the Court's decision?  Our panel of experts for "Designing Diversity after Affirmative Action, Part II" will discuss these questions and more.  Join us at the beginning of New York Fashion Week to celebrate the Fashion Law Institute's 13th anniversary and engage in one of our favorite roles:  cutting-edge analysis and constructive problem solving.

DATE: Friday, September 8, 2023
TIME: 9:30-10:45am (breakfast 9am)
PLACE: Fordham Law, 150  W. 62nd St., 2nd floor (Bateman Room)
NYS CLE: 1.5 hours Ethics and Professionalism, transitional and non-transitional

SPEAKERS:
Angie Byun, AB World
Hayley Macon, Endeavor
Jeff Trexler, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Kenya Wiley, Georgetown University

MODERATOR:
Professor Susan Scafidi
Founder & Director, Fashion Law Institute

Register now!

Due to the social significance of this topic, there is no required registration fee. Voluntary donations are welcome – and tax-deductible!

Inside Out 8

Sold Out! placed over announcement for Inside Out 8: Fashion's In-House Counsel Shares Schadenfreude, Friday, February, March 10, 2023, from 8:45-10:00am. Image: pink smirking face.

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT AND REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.
We look forward to seeing you at a future event!

Join us for our 8th annual panel featuring fashion's in-house counsel!

In-house counsel can rarely discuss their own cases or problems in public, but everyone is keeping an educated eye on others' issues.  We've asked about the litigation, legislation, scandals, social issues, and other matters that our colleagues at fashion-related companies are glad are on someone else's desk and not their own, and we're eager to learn about what they're watching.  Join us during New York Fashion Week for our 8th annual in-house counsel panel, "Inside Out 8: Fashion's in-house counsel shares schadenfreude"!  This session will not be recorded.

DATE: Friday, February 10, 2023
TIME: 9:30-10:45am (continental breakfast at 9am)
PLACE: Fordham School of Law, 150 W.62nd St., New York, NY. 10023
NYS CLE: 1.5 hours professional practice, transitional and non-transitional

Confirmed speakers include: 
  • Angie Byun, AB WORLD
  • Lizzy Han, Chanel
  • Ariel Sodomsky, Coty
  • Nick Barnhorst, Fresh
  • John Maltbie and Jana Checa Chong, Louis Vuitton
  • Alice Pang, Ralph Lauren
  • Ashley Valdes, Warby Parker
  • Moderated by Professor Susan Scafidi, Founder & Director, Fashion Law Institute at Fordham

For more information about the Institute or the CLE hardship policy, please contact us at events@fashionlawinstitute.com.

Boot up for 2023!

Image of Rudolph the red nosed reindeer with collar imprinted with gold Fashion Law Institute needle-and-thread gavel logo -- Fiat Lex! Warmest wishes for a holiday season filled with light and joy from all of us at the Fashion Law Institute!

We wish you and your loved ones all the most stylish joys of the season, and
we look forward to seeing you in 2023!

Sign up in January for these upcoming events:

Inside Out 8: Fashion's In-House Counsel!
Friday, February 10, 2022

13th Annual Symposium
Friday, April 28

Applications for our next Fashion Law Bootcamp in New York 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!