Fashion Law Institute

Because someone has to do the paperwork behind all that creativity, Los Angeles will soon boast its very own breeding ground for fashion-focused lawyers.

When we first spoke with designer Eden Miller, it was for a piece about the problems facing plus size fashion. Miller expressed frustration with the status quo and told us there were still a lot of changes that need to be made to improve the offerings for plus size customers. Now she gets to be part of those changes in a major way--as the first designer to show a plus size line at New York Fashion Week.

3-D printing could have tremendous effects on the fashion industry. It has the potential to do great things for the industry: create shorter lead times for designers, offer the ability to produce things in smaller quantities, and create easy personalization. On the flip side, 3-D printing could render many jobs in the manufacturing industry obsolete, as well as present some tricky legal issues surrounding copyright.

A Model Union?: Model Sarah Ziff has plans to establish "The Model Alliance," a professional organization for models in the U.S. to help regulate the industry. She's working with Fordham's Fashion Law Institute to set up clinics to get a sense of the problems models face and what their legal rights are. {WWD subscription required} Another Royal Wedding: Prince William's cousin Zara Phillips, 29, got engaged to her boyfriend, England rugby player Mike Tindall. Somehow we figure this royal wedding might get overshadowed... {People} The Ugliest and Creepiest of Sweaters To Wear To Your Ugly Sweater Party: No explanation necessary. Just click on the link. {The Daily What} Mrs. O In Marc: The FLOTUS finally wore Marc Jacobs. A dress from Marc's fall 2010 runway collection no less. {The Cut}

The melding of fashion and law seemed like an odd concept in the past, as evidenced by Elle and her hot pink suits in Legally Blonde. With concerns about counterfeiting, the new intellectual property bill in Congress, and the complex nature of the fashion business, designers need legal support more than ever now. Stilettos and staid suits met quite literally today as Fordham Law School in NYC launched the Fashion Law Institute yesterday. The CFDA donated $100,000 to the Institute and CFDA president/fairy godmother, Diane von Furstenberg, matched that with a donation of her own. The Institute anticipates that it will need about $1 million its first year. First, I have to be superficial and mention that the logo for the new Institute is especially clever: A spool of thread and needle made to look like a gavel. Whoever designed it deserves a bonus. Or at least free future legal representation. Second, DvF is quite hilarious with a dry comic delivery. After acknowledging the work of professor Susan Scafidi, the director of the Fashion Law Institute, she told a story about how Susan wore one of her dresses to a meeting. DvF noted that she had changed the buttons to “nicer ones.” Plus Susan “understands fashion well, which is rare for a lawyer,” she said. Yes. (I saw a lot of poorly fitting, knee length, pinstriped suits in the audience.) Finally, and most importantly, the Fashion Law Institute is offering some original services to designers and attorneys alike. For designers, they are providing a centralized resource for pro bono legal assistance, educational forums, and a source of information and research. For attorneys, students, and the community, there are degree and non-degree courses, an annual symposium, and public seminars for design and legal professionals.