LETTER FROM THE CHAIRS
Dear Colleagues and Friends, Thank you so much for your interest in, and continued support of Fashion Law Week ™! We are embarking upon the third annual Fashion Law Week and look forward to making this year’s events even more successful than ever. Fashion Law Week (FLW) was created to engage students and the broader community in the discussion surrounding legal issues that impact the fashion industry. The protection of fashion design rights has been commonplace within the international community for years; however, this area of the law has been slow to develop within the United States. Fashion in the United States is a $42 billion industry. As a result, U.S. fashion houses have begun to understand the importance of retaining legal expertise within their businesses. In addition, the possibility for expansion of fashion design rights has garnered significant political attention as a result of the Innovative Design Protection Act (IDPA) and its previous iterations. For these reasons, Fashion Law is becoming a more respected legal specialization. Fashion Law Week 2013 will once again provide an open forum for all participants to learn more about pending legislation, as well as other legal issues facing the fashion industry. Following the theme, “Intelligent Design: Protecting the Luxury Brand,” the FLW 2013 programs will introduce participants to the substantive legal issues that luxury fashion houses face, provide an open forum for discussion on these issues with leaders that are shaping Fashion Law, and bring together attorneys, academics, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and fashion aficionados for networking opportunities. The week will conclude with the “Intelligent Design” fashion show- which has quickly become one of the DC areas premier fashion events. We thank you for your support. Our sincere appreciation goes out to those who have assisted with the implementation of Fashion Law Week since its inception. Again, welcome to Fashion Law Week™ 2013!
Fashion Law Week™ (FLW) was created to engage students and the broader community in the discussion surrounding legal issues that impact the fashion industry. The protection of fashion design rights has been commonplace within the international community for years; however, this area of the law has been slow to develop within the United States. Fashion in the United States is a $42 billion industry. US fashion houses have begun to understand the importance of legal expertise within their businesses. With such a financially robust industry, Fashion Law is becoming a more respected legal specialization. The possibility for expansion of fashion design rights has garnered significant political attention as a result of the Innovative Design Protection Act (IDPA). Fashion Law Week™ will provide an open forum for all participants to learn more about this pending legislation, as well as other legal issues facing the fashion industry.
Fashion Law Week is also dedicated to highlighting the talents of both local and up and coming designers. Please visit the menu above for more information regarding each panel and our schedule of events. All events are free of charge with the exception of the fashion show.