International Master in Fashion Law
Program director:
Campus:
Barcelona
Date:
September 2026
LANGUAGE:
English
ACADEMIC STAY:
Academic stay in Milan
Fashion is not only worn—it is protected, negotiated, and transformed through law.
The International Master in Fashion Law at ISDE is designed to educate the professionals who will lead at the intersection of the fashion industry and the international legal framework. This pioneering program prepares you to master the key legal aspects of the sector, from intellectual property protection and trademark registration to the negotiation of contracts with designers, manufacturers, and distributors, as well as compliance in global supply chains and the regulation of sustainability in fashion.
With a strongly practice-oriented approach and a faculty composed of practicing lawyers and experts from leading law firms, brands, and regulatory bodies, you will acquire the tools needed to advise on brand licensing, copyright infringement litigation, collaboration agreements with influencers, and the adaptation of companies to new European regulations on the circular economy and transparency. In addition, the program addresses highly topical issues such as the regulation of NFTs in fashion, the protection of designs in the metaverse, and the management of reputational crises in a sector where innovation and creativity demand agile and strategic legal responses. Are you ready to become the legal advisor that fashion brands need to protect their legacy and expand their business in a global market?
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Introduction and objectives
The International Master in Fashion Law at ISDE is a pioneering and specialized program that combines in-depth legal studies with a practical understanding of the fashion, luxury, and cosmetics industries. Designed to provide a global and interdisciplinary education, this master’s program prepares legal and business professionals to face the legal and strategic challenges of a dynamic, creative, and ever-evolving industry.
The program’s objectives are:
- To provide a comprehensive understanding of the legal framework governing the fashion sector, including intellectual property, digital law, sustainability, and compliance.
- To develop practical skills in drafting, negotiating, and managing contracts specific to the industry.
- To foster a business-oriented and strategic vision from a legal perspective.
- To offer an international academic and professional experience, including a training stay in Milan with leading institutions in the sector.
- To connect students with a faculty composed of professionals from top law firms, brands, and companies.
Sponsor
Structure, location and calendar
The master’s program is structured into 8 thematic modules covering key areas such as Fashion Law, Intellectual Property, Corporate Law, Criminal Law, Digital Law, ESG, Cosmetics, and Labor Law. Each module includes a specific evaluation and carries a defined weight toward the final grade.
- Program start date: September, 2026
- End of academic phase: April, 2027
- International academic stay: April 2027, in Milan
- Schedule: Monday to Thursday, from 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM
- Format: On-site, streaming, and online
- Location: ISDE – Barcelona Campus
The academic stay includes training sessions at the offices of Bonelli Erede, a prestigious Italian law firm specializing in business law, as well as organized visits to iconic companies such as Gucci and other key institutions within Milan’s fashion ecosystem.
Career Opportunities
Students of the *International Master in Fashion Law* will be prepared to take on legal and strategic roles across various areas within the fashion, luxury, cosmetics, and retail-related technology sectors. Career opportunities include:
- Lawyer specialized in fashion law or intellectual property
- In-house legal advisor in fashion, beauty, or luxury companies
- Compliance officer
- Expert in sustainability and ESG applied to creative companies
- Legal counsel in e-commerce and digital retail
- Legal consultant for technology platforms linked to fashion
- Professional in law firms specializing in corporate, labor, criminal, or digital law with a focus on creative industries
In addition, the program includes professional internships that support direct entry into companies and leading law firms in the sector.
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
The program is divided into 8 thematic blocks, each with a specific weight in the final grade. At the end of each module, an assessment is conducted.
1. An in-house perspective
- Introduction to fashion law
- The role of the in-house lawyer in a fashion house.
- Negotiating and drafting contracts in the fashion industry
- Relationship between in-house counsel and external advisor: the need of an expert in the field of fashion law
- Marketing in the field of fashion: a legal perspective
- How to start a business in the fashion industry.
- Sectorial expertise: luxury, sportive goods, bridal fashion, etc.
2. Cosmetics
- General Regulatory Framework for Cosmetics
- From Concept to Market: The Roadmap for Cosmetic Products (Legal and Contractual Lifecycle of a Cosmetic Product)
- Selective Distribution Systems in the Cosmetics Industry
- Self-Regulation and Industry Codes of Conduct
- Claims, Advertising, and Digital Marketing in Cosmetics
- Misleading advertising issues
- Intellectual Property and Brand Protection
- Sustainability, Environmental Compliance, and CSR
3. Corporate law
M&A; Financing and Investment Contracts in fashion
- Bank financing
- Direct funding
- Venture capital
- The strategic investor
- EXIT and CRISIS
- a) The exit of the founder/investor
- The value of the company
- The investor and his exit
- The founder and his continuity
- Sale to a third party
- b) Company crisis
- Asset protection
- Reputation protection
- Continuity
- The sale of the production unit
- Winding-up
- a) The exit of the founder/investor
- Contractual Law at FL
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- Advertising, marketing and sponsorship contracts in fashion
- Influencers and the relationship with influencers;
- Outsourcing
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- EXIT and CRISIS
- International contracts in the field of fashion
- Distribution strategies and structures: agency contracts; distribution; franchising; selective distribution; retail and own shops
- Real Estate in fashion
- Competition Law at fashion
- Compliance and Corporate Social Responsibility at fashion
- TAX at fashion
- Litigation in fashion
4. Intellectual Property
- General introduction to IP
- Trademarks I: scope and obtention of trademark rights. The path from choosing a sign to obtaining registration
- Trademarks II: building the portfolio, trademark maintenance, use of the trademark
- Trademarks III: attack and defence strategy
- Patents and utility models I
- Patents and utility models II
- Trade Secrets: from inception to marketing. Protecting your pipeline. Patents v. Trade Secrets.
- Patents, utility models and trade secrets attack and defence strategies.
- Generation of copyright, types of works, rights covered by intellectual property.
- Work for hire, employment agreements, collective works. Designers as creators. The importance correct assignment of rights.
- Copyright and fashion. Copyright v. design or copyright and design?
- Designs I: scope obtention, maintenance. Registered v. non registered designs, strategic choices.
- Designs II: attack and defence strategies.
- Fakes, forgeries, counterfeits and dupes with a special reference to “equivalent perfumes”: the legal and case law framework.
- Fakes, forgeries, counterfeits and dupes: how to fight them. The counterfeit regulation.
- Recycling, Upcycling, Repairing and second hand sales: when “sustainability” clashes with IP.
- Enlarging the scope of IP rights and sui generis rights which impact fashion I: collective trademarks, certification trademarks, GI for artisanal and industrial products.
- Enlarging the scope of IP rights and sui generis rights which impact fashion II: inspiration v. cultural misappropriation. Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural Expressions a clash between public domain and new sui generis IP rights? Italian Codice dei beni culturali e del paesaggio and the Marchio Storico
- Joining forces: design + trademark + image. What IP rights have to contemplated in collaborative agreements? E.g. Louis Vuitton and Yayoi Kusama, Crocs and Balenciaga, Pharrel Williams and Adidas.
- Exploiting IP rights by fashion houses: licensing, assignment, transformation rights, etc.
- Licensing a well know trademark: Barcelona FC
- Practical cases on accumulation of IP protection
- Fashion in cinema and TV: film and tv costume designs, product placement, collaboration between TV companies and fashion houses.
- IP and fashion in the Metaverse
- AI and fashion: AI creativity, ownership of AI generated designs, from “Edmond de Belamy” to “A recent Entrance to paradise” to China’s Internet Court ruling. Generative designs, Balenciaga Neural (Robbie Barrat). Can AI infringe IP rights?
- AI tools for the fashion industry: Algorythm Couture and the reduction of waste, A-POC Able Issaye Miyake; Augmented and virtual reality retail experiences (in-store navigation, virtual apparel trials, product demonstrations…), conversational AI, Virtual Assistants, fashion chatbots etc.
- Practical case/s
5. Digital law
- Transforming fashion retail in the Digital Age: an overview of EU digital regulations
- E-commerce and consumer protection in digital sales
- Platform economy: the impact of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act on the fashion industry
- Artificial Intelligence and data regulations
- Data protection and cybersecurity
- E-Privacy: advertising based on cookies and email marketing obligations
- Legal approaches to online advertising, influencers, and social media
- Customer engagement: legal considerations for profiling and loyalty programs
6. Criminal law
- Introduction to criminal law in the fashion industry
- Fashion industry companies as potential victims of criminal offences
- Fashion industry companies as potential perpetrators of criminal offences
- Criminal proceedings in Spain as disputes forum to pursue misconduct and seek damages
- General framework for corporate criminal liability in Spain and impact of corporate criminal compliance programs
- Third-party compliance due diligence obligations in supply chains
- Case study
7. ESG
- Introduction to ESG: concept, principles and main due diligence standards.
- ESG criteria in corporate governance: compliance and corporate risk.
- Equality, diversity, health and safety and human rights.
- Project finance and sustainable financing.
- Waste obligations. The extended producer responsibility regime.
- Product design and labelling.
8. Labour and employment law
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- Most common employment contracts in the fashion industry.
- Collective bargaining agreements (commerce and industry).
- Remuneration schemes.
- Working time. Work-life balance.
- Flexible measures before restructuring a company.
- Contract termination. Disciplinary and redundancy.
- Labor Harassment. Internal Investigations.
- Preparing a court hearing with HR. Moot court.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
- International Mobility.
FACULTY
- Francisco García Pérez (Uría Menéndez)
- Guillermo Zulueta (Bimba y Lola)
- Oliver Ribera (Desigual)
- Eugenia Jover y Ester Montesinos (Mango)
- Jaime López de Villarreal (Loewe)
- Esteve Buldu (Camper)
- Judit Lladós (Tous)
- Josep Dosta (Woodys Eyewear)
- Anna Forns (Pandora)
- Sheila Méndez (Pronovias)
- Judith Rodríguez (Puma)
- Patricia Anduaga (Sephora)
- Irene Moneo (Natura Bissé)
- Marioti Hernández (ISDIN)
- Bárbara Navas (ISDIN)
- Jeanne Weis
- Lorena Sánchez (Martiderm)
- Alexandru Lazar (IntLaw)
- Marita Dargallo (Barrilero y Asociados)
- Iñigo Gené (Baker & McKenzie)
- Esther Gómez (Grau y Ángulo)
- Gonzalo Mesalles (Uría Menéndez)
- Rais Amils (Gómez-Acebo & Pombo)
- Maria Mei Muñoz (Uría Menéndez)
- Jorge Llevat (Barrilero y Asociados)
- Anastasia Leonardi (Sol Muntañola Abogados)
- Myriam Otaola (Isern Patentes y Marcas)
- Sergio Juan-Creix (Croma Legal)
- Silvia Sáenz (Baker & McKenzie)
- Anna Viladas (Gómez-Acebo & Pombo)
- David de Falguera (EY)
- David Molina (Baker & McKenzie)
- María Ángeles Díaz (Uría Menéndez)
- Maria Gili (EY)
- Isaque Leite (Uría Menéndez)
- Eduard Blasi (Data Guardians)
- Mario Montes (Uría Menéndez)
- Oscar Morales (Cases & Lacambra)
- José Alberto Navarro (Uría Menéndez)
- Berta Casas (Toda & Nel-lo)
- Eloi Colldeforns (Uría Menéndez)
- Antoni Companys (Pérez-Llorca)
- Pau Panadés (Toda & Nel-lo)
- Pilar Baltar (Roca Junyent)
- Almudena Álvarez (Álvarez Lentner)
- Kato Aerts (Lydian)
- Catiana Jiménez (Coty)
- Álvaro Bacigalupi (Decathlon)
- José Antonio Moreno (Alibaba Group)
- Marion Couvreur (IP consulting for fashion companies)
- Adrià Doce (Uría Menéndez)
- Rafael García-Perrote (Uría Menéndez)
- Isabel Gandoy (Cuatrecasas)
- Charles Lapolla (Phillips Nizer)
- Sara Estalella Malet (AWWG)
ACCREDITED DEGREE
Once the corresponding Program has been completed and ISDE has verified that the STUDENT has fulfilled their academic responsibilities satisfactorily, the STUDENT will receive the qualification corresponding to that PROGRAM.
In compliance with current legislation, and specifically in accordance with Article 4.4 of Decree 84/2004, it is hereby stated that ISDE programs are professionally oriented and, unless explicitly stated otherwise, do not lead to the awarding of an official degree, but rather an ISDE proprietary diploma.