Fashion: The IP Edit

The primary competitive advantage for many businesses, including those in the fashion industry, is innovation. So where does intellectual property (IP) fit in? In this article we explore the various forms of IP relevant to the fashion industry and why this is important for brands.

When breaking into the fashion industry at any level, understanding and protecting IP is critical to success.

Take luxury fashion. Fashion houses invest considerable time (often months) and money in preparing pieces for the runway at the worldwide fashion shows. For haute couture pieces, garments can take even longer to create. When these garments are released for sale, they come with a high price tag. Due to the fast-paced nature of the industry (and even more so with fast-fashion), high-end designs are quickly replicated by high street and online brands to create pieces affordable for consumers. With the instantaneous nature of the Internet, with the ability for catwalks to