I founded The Fashion Law during my first year of law school to fill a void in informed analysis of the legal and commercial challenges confronting the retail industry. Now, more than 10 years later, we are still filling that gap for industry leaders by delivering rigorous, independent reporting that translates complex legal and commercial developments into actionable industry insight.
I believe all of our articles are valuable reads that serve to equip our readers with the context and clarity necessary to understand and anticipate the forces shaping the global retail landscape. However, I do have some favorites. With that in mind, here are just a few of the articles from 2025 that I think are worth revisiting – from a look at how Chanel carefully policies its trademarks and the broader brand ecosystem to the fate of the viral “Boatkin” bag …
Chanel’s Quest for Control: How the Brand Polices Where & How Its Products Are Sold
As Chanel builds a carefully controlled retail experience through its own global store network, it is also pursuing a parallel effort: tightly regulating where its products are and are not sold. Alongside expanding its retail footprint, the luxury group continues a long-running campaign to block unauthorized sellers from offering Chanel goods, including authentic products, in settings that fall short of the brand’s standards. – Read the full article here.
Luxury Goods from China? Unpacking the Viral TikTok Trend
As U.S.-China trade tensions rose this year, Chinese factories turned to TikTok to sell factory-direct goods that closely mimic luxury products at steep discounts, sparking viral interest and a host of legal and branding issues. The claims behind these videos raise questions about trademark and trade dress infringement, potential breaches of supplier agreements, and new import-law risks for U.S. consumers following the end of the de minimis duty exemption for goods from China and Hong Kong.
More broadly, the trend highlights growing consumer skepticism about luxury pricing and the traditional value proposition of high-end brands. – Read the full article here.
If Consumers Love Logos, What is Driving Demand for Dupes?
In furtherance of a widespread demand for dupes, at least some consumers appear to be responding to a deeper dissonance: heritage incoherence. In reality, many luxury brands no longer operate in a manner that aligns with their carefully cultivated narratives of artisanal excellence and exclusivity. – Read the full article here.
The Risky Business of Authenticating Vivienne Westwood’s Punk Era
The early punk-era designs created by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren have evolved from radical provocations into highly prized collectibles, but their rise has brought mounting confusion over authenticity in the resale market. Because those garments were intentionally improvised, inconsistently produced, and shaped by a DIY culture that encouraged copying and modification, today’s buyers face a blurred line between originals, licensed reproductions, later knockoffs, and replicas that were never meant to pass as authentic.
Joe Corré, Westwood’s son, is now pushing for a shift away from rigid authentication toward nuanced appraisal, arguing that understanding context, authorship, and production conditions matters more than labels or hardware, and that preserving Westwood’s legacy requires clarity without flattening the chaos that defined it. – Read the full article here.
The Hermès Heir, the Qatari Deal & the €14 Billion That Disappeared
A high-stakes legal saga involving old money, Gulf ambition, and a disappearing €14 billion fortune is quietly unfolding in federal court in Washington, D.C. At the center of the case is a bitter dispute between Honor America Capital LLC, a newly formed investment vehicle backed by Qatar’s royal family, and Nicolas Puech, a reclusive Hermès heir and a great-great-grandson of Thierry Hermès, the harness-maker who founded Hermès in 1837. At stake? Over 6 million Hermès shares, representing about 5.8 percent of the capital of one of the world’s most exclusive luxury brands. – Read the full article here.
Worn Wear: A Battle Over Patagonia’s Burgeoning Brand
Patagonia’s well-known Worn Wear program has become a flashpoint in an escalating trademark fight that highlights the tension between sustainability branding and exclusivity. As resale and repair move from niche to mainstream, Patagonia has stepped up efforts to protect the WORN WEAR name, arguing before the USPTO that similar marks threaten consumer confusion and dilute the distinct identity it has built around durability and environmental responsibility.
As exclusively reported by TFL, Patagonia’s ongoing clash with Worn Again Technologies, which has responded with oppositions of its own, underscores how valuable sustainability-focused trademarks have become, and how even mission-driven branding can spark high-stakes legal battles as companies compete to own the language of circular fashion. – Read the full article here.
What Happened to the “Boatkin” Bag?
A viral upcycled handbag dubbed the “Boatkin” briefly captured attention this year by blending the Birkin silhouette with L.L. Bean’s Boat and Tote before quietly disappearing from the market. Created by Hathaway Hutton designer Jen Risk and priced at up to $1,600, the bag spread rapidly across social and mainstream media, only to vanish from the brand’s site and feeds without explanation.
While a lawsuit has not emerged, the abrupt pullback suggests behind-the-scenes pressure, likely reflecting how quickly a buzzy homage can cross into uncomfortable territory for luxury brands fiercely protective of their core designs. – Read the full article here.
This is a short excerpt from TFL’s Annual Review, which was published exclusively for TFL PRO+ subscribers and dives into everything from deals that further consolidated the fashion/luxury segments over the past year to the rise in ESG-centric legislation around the world.
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