Fashion Law Week is an annual event that was created by Howard University's Law School students, aimed at addressing legal issues in the fashion industry. This year's theme was Intelligent Design: Protecting the Luxury Brand.
I had the pleasure of attending the keynote presentation, given by Harley Lewin, an Intellectual Property lawyer known around the world for his IP protection work, specifically in the luxury apparel industry. Mr. Lewin is most recently known for winning the most significant IP case in the world in the past 10 years -- Louboutin vs. Yves St. Laurent. Some of his other clients include Diane von Furstenberg, Cartier, Alexander Wang, Dior, and Givenchy.
Although the
presentation was geared to an audience of legal professionals, there were
several good key takeaways that I thought could be applicable to entrepreneurs.
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| Photo Credit: InStyle |
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| Me with Mr. Harley Lewin |
Protect what's yours. These days, it's so much easier for someone to steal your ideas and pass them off as their own. The sad part is that this causes confusion among the customer, sometimes making it difficult for them to know the difference between your authentic product and a replica. As a new entrepreneur, funds might be limited to hire an attorney but it’s a necessary investment in order to make sure your brand, designs, ideas, etc. are protected. You put too much work into your business to let someone else try to bring down its value.
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| Louboutin Trademark. Photo Credit: The Lexblog Network |
Be ready at any moment. Mr. Lewin mentioned that he doesn’t believe in luck. People have asked him how he’s been so fortunate to have such large clients, and he has attributed it to taking [smart] risks and being prepared when an opportunity presented itself. He believes that everyone has the same number of opportunities come their way, but the people who were "lucky" were ready. That one opportunity could be what takes your business to the next level so always be ready to deliver.
There's no one way to do it. A lot of times as entrepreneurs we look at the success of others and our peers and try to mimic what they've done in hopes that it will work for us. I know I'm definitely guilty of this. But everyone's definition of success is different, and everyone's path to get there is different. While it's important to have a plan, don't be afraid of trial and error.
If you're interested, here is more information regarding the Louboutin vs.Yves St. Laurent case.
And just for fun...Here is JLo performing "Louboutins". And yes, Mr. Lewin played this during his presentation lol.
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