Book Review: The Handbook of Fashion Law

As fashion law continues to evolve into its own distinctive legal field, there has been a growing need for academic and practical resources devoted specifically to this area. Thus, it is very exciting to see the 2025 publication of The Handbook of Fashion Law (ISBN: 9780198938897), edited by Irene Calboli and Eleonora Rosati, and published by Oxford University Press.

Eleonora Rosati is Professor of Intellectual Property Law at Stockholm University, Glion Institute of Higher Education (GIHE) Research Fellow and Visiting Lecturer, and Of Counsel at Bird & Bird. She is Editor of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice (Oxford University Press), long-standing contributor to The IPKat, and Co-Founder of Fashion Law London. Irene Calboli is Regents Professor of Law at Texas A&M University School of Law. She holds several honorary and visiting appointments, including at the University of Geneva, the University of Bologna, Sciences Po Paris, Bocconi University, Melbourne University, and Stanford University. In 2022, she was a Fulbright-Hanken Distinguished Chair in Business and Economics in Finland. 

The list of contributors is both extensive and impressive, representing a broad cross-section of expertise from the global fashion law community. This breadth of input lends the book substantial credibility while ensuring a wide array of perspectives. 

The book is divided into four parts, each focusing on a different aspect of fashion law: (I) the legal infrastructure of the fashion and luxury industries; (II) intellectual property (IP) dimensions of fashion; (III) specific contractual issues, including the application of principles and rules found in regulatory frameworks; and (IV) the role of new and emerging technologies in the fashion sector from a legal perspective. The chapters are concise articles written by diverse contributors, providing readers with an impressive variety of topics and viewpoints. Of course, the downside to this structure is that, given space constraints, no single topic can be examined in exhaustive detail. As a result, readers seeking in-depth treatment of specific issues may find themselves wanting even more comprehensive coverage. 

Nevertheless, the book offers many intriguing perspectives on fashion law. It covers areas such as unusual trademarks, IP enforcement, the integration of AI in fashion, advertising issues, and data protection, to name a few. This variety ensures the book appeals to a broad audience, including legal practitioners, academics, and fashion industry professionals. While it is much appreciated that the book takes practical viewpoints into consideration, from the viewpoint of a legal practitioner, one might wish for more theoretical background in addition to practical tips. 

It is also worth noting that the book addresses contemporary industry challenges, including the problem of fast fashion and legal obstacles of the circular economy. By including articles on topics such as sustainability and its relationship with IP rights, the editors ensure that the book also offers something relevant to ongoing debates within the sector. Although the problems of fast fashion and the current challenges of the circular economy have been discussed in other fashion law literature, I found the discussion of these topics to be a fundamental part of such a book like The Handbook of Fashion Law because they link legal principles directly to industry realities. 

I especially appreciated the chapter on offensive trademarks by Megan Carpenter, which wisely combines legal case analysis with insights from fashion brand owners. This chapter leads readers to reconsider the fundamentals of the trademark system, i.e. whether it is appropriate for the trademark system to pass moral judgment, or whether registration should be barred on grounds of immorality or offensiveness—particularly given that refusing registration does not, in practice, prevent anyone from using the trademark, as pointed out in the article. 

The chapter on competition law and fashion by Susanne Augenhofer and Giorgio Monti was another highlight. As pointed out, the fashion industry has not been the target of much antitrust enforcement and as such, is a topic that has not been researched that often. Therefore, the chapter offered fresh insights, raised new questions about how competition law applies in this context and explored the differences between the EU and US antitrust law. 

When it comes to the book as a whole, I would have welcomed a more in-depth exploration of design law. In the current edition, the book somehow reflects the IP system itself; design law often remains somewhat overshadowed by copyright and trademark law. That said, the chapter by design law expert David Stone, “Using Design Law to Protect Inventive Fashion in the UK and EU,” was thought-provoking and demonstrated the potential of design law within fashion law discourse. 

Overall, it is clear that the field of fashion law has desperately needed a comprehensive work such as this volume. The Handbook of Fashion Law brings together vital information and insight, making it an essential resource for anyone interested in the legal dimensions of fashion. As might be expected with a multi-contributor volume, the depth and focus of individual chapters can vary, and in some cases I would have preferred a more direct engagement with fashion law itself, rather than more general legal themes. 

Nevertheless, I am sure that the book offers something for everyone — whether they are practitioners, scholars, or students — and that it will inspire a broader interest in this field of law. I hope that the publication of The Handbook of Fashion Law will promote the recognition of fashion law’s importance, while helping those working in fashion to better understand their rights and the nuances and obscurities of the system in which they operate.

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