Legal Conference on Fashion, Luxury, and Design: a fifth edition focused on legal and creative issues

Now an unmissable event for legal professionals and experts in the fashion and luxury sector, held for the first time at the Maison de la Chimie, it will address a wide range of rich and complex current issues and challenges at the crossroads of creativity and law.

For its fifth edition, the Legal Conference on Fashion, Luxury and Design (AJMLD), on December 9 in Paris, will be held for the first time at the Maison de la Chimie (28 rue Saint Dominique, in the seventh arrondissement).

This “more prestigious and spacious” venue, in keeping with the growing success of the event, will be able to “welcome even more participants in the best conditions” to this now unmissable event.

Law at the heart of creation

Organized by Lexposia, the consulting agency for legal professionals, with the support of numerous partners including LUXUS PLUS, and under the scientific direction of Emmanuelle Hoffman, Partner at Hoffman Law Firm and specialist in intellectual property law, the 2025 edition of the conference will address a topical theme: Signatures & Know-how: the law at the heart of creation-, thus fueling a rich day of discussion and reflection.

The program for this fifth edition will enable lawyers, attorneys, legal departments, and other experts to “decode the regulatory, economic, and technological changes that are reshaping the future of fashion, luxury, and design” and explore “the major legal challenges facing the creative industries.” On the agenda this year: emerging regulations, protection of works in the age of AI, fairness in commercial relations, and the fight against counterfeiting, dupes and deception.

At 9:00 a.m., Emmanuelle Hoffman and Pierre-François Le Louët, President of NellyRodi and Co-President of the French Union of Fashion and Clothing Industries, will open the proceedings.

Fast Fashion and Eco-design

At 9:15 a.m., the first round table will focus on current legislative and regulatory developments: consumer information. In addition to analyzing French regulations (fast fashion framework, etc.) and how they relate to eco-design regulations, it will explore the European strategy for sustainable textiles, the practical and legal impacts of the ban on the destruction of unsold items, and the intensified fight against greenwashing through recent sanctions. A comparative look at ESG standards in the United States and Asia will also enrich the discussion.

Led by Emmanuelle Hoffman, who will moderate the discussions, Simone Cipriani (Chair Person UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, Dean Milano Institute, Università di Firenze), Olivia Grégoire, Member of Parliament for Paris, and Ambroise Pascal, Delegate for Ecological Transition at the DGCCRF, will present their legal analysis of the situation and discuss the practical consequences for value chains, putting into perspective the differences in impact between SMEs and large groups in the face of global competition, in order to assess the opportunities and risks for players in the luxury and fashion industries.

Product compliance, counterfeiting, and dupes

After a coffee break and mini-networking session from 10:10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the next round table, entitled “Product compliance, counterfeiting, dupes: what are the answers?”, will explore the legal issues related to the safety of products (leather goods, toys, cosmetics, and other consumer goods) placed on the legal/illegal markets.

The round table will address issues of liability relating to product compliance (including the proliferation of counterfeits and their violation of safety standards), as well as the control, prevention, regulation, and sanction mechanisms put in place to protect consumers and secure supply chains. Jean-Marc Moinard, Lawyer at the Paris & Barcelona Bar, Moinard Law Firm, Delphine Sarfati-Sobreira, Managing Director of UNIFAB and President of the GACG (Global Anti-counterfeiting Group), Shaïma Msiah, Business and Regulatory Affairs Lawyer at the Fédération de la Maille, de la Lingerie et du Balnéaire (Federation of Knitwear, Lingerie and Swimwear), specializing in consumer law and the regulation of labeling and safety of textile products, and finally David Saussinan, EU IP Compliance (Anti-counterfeit / Brand protection) at Temu, will contribute to the discussions.

At 11:20 a.m., a face-to-face discussion between Irène Luc, First Advocate General of the Commercial Chamber of the Court of Cassation, and Elsa Thauvin, Partner at Freget-Glaser Law Firm, will “put into perspective the risks associated with abusive practices, as well as cartels and restrictions on competition, in a world where exclusivity fuels attractiveness and litigation.” An update on the latest case law decisions in this area will also be provided.

A major cross-disciplinary debate

This will be followed at 11:40 a.m. by a major cross-disciplinary debate, which will “explore the challenges of regulatory fragmentation and the opportunities offered by new markets in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.” Xavier Gueant, Legal Director of the Federation of Beauty Companies (FEBEA), Benoît Greteau, Partner at Veil Jourde, and Yann Ambach, Customs Administrator at the Directorate General of Customs and Indirect Taxes (DGDDI), will discuss the specific and sensitive issues facing the luxury sector in terms of loyalty and transparency, including franchising, selective distribution, refusal to sell, and economic dependence, as well as those related to international trade and fragmented regulations, with a mosaic of non-harmonized customs and tax regulations.

At 12:25 p.m., Virginie Jacoberger-Lavoué, journalist at Les Echos, will interview Bruno Nahan, CEO of Bugis, Maille Verte Vosgienne, Guigou, Sfate & Combier, and Fantaisie Militaire, and President of the Federation of Knitwear, Lingerie, and Swimwear.

The discussions will be interrupted by a lunch break between 12:40 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Testimony from L’Oréal’s legal director

At 2:00 p.m., the conference’s special guest, Alexandre Menais, legal director of L’Oréal, the world leader in beauty, will share his experience of the strategic reorganization of the group’s legal and compliance functions, which were recently brought under a single management structure on July 1.

At 2:15 p.m., the round table discussion entitled “Generative AI, copyright and counterfeiting: protecting creations in the face of new digital challenges“ will examine this technology, which opens up ”unprecedented opportunities for creation“ but also ”raises new legal questions,“ blurring ”the boundaries of law, particularly copyright law, between derivative works, automated mood boards, logos, and packaging.”

Frédéric Rose, CEO of Imki and specialist in augmented creativity, Nicolas Lambert, Head of Online Brand Protection at LVMH, and Christiane Feral-Schuhi, Partner and Mediator at FERAL, specializing in intellectual property law and digital and communications law, will contribute to the discussion.

New obligations for marketplaces

At 3:00 p.m. – A face-to-face discussion between Pierre Berecz (Ebrand France), Hugo Weber, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Mirakl, and Benoît Loutrel, member of the board of directors of the French Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (ARCOM), will address the new responsibilities of platforms and the key issues surrounding brands and models at the heart of a rapidly changing online commerce landscape. Since the Digital Services Act came into force, the obligations of marketplaces have been strengthened in the fight against counterfeiting.

After a coffee break and networking interlude from 3:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., an update on IP-IT case law, covering the major decisions of the year, will be provided by Laure Comte, referendary advisor and project manager at the Commercial, Financial, and Economic Chamber of the Court of Cassation; Christophe Caron, Associate Professor at the Paris-Est Faculty of Law, Barrister, and Bertrand Geoffray, Industrial Property Attorney, Partner at Germain Maureau & Cyril Fabre, and Cyril Fabre, Partner, Data Protection Officer at Ydès, moderated by Olivia Granit, Partner at Hoffman.

Influencers and models

At 4:25 p.m., we will discuss the case of “influencers and models,” as collaborations between influencers, brands, and models are subject to increased legal regulation. The panel will include Nathalie Cros-Coitton, President of Women Management and the French Federation of Modeling Agencies (FFAM), and Stéphane VOJETTA, former member of parliament. The former will provide concrete feedback on the application of the “Influencers” law and its implications in terms of contracts, transparency, and responsibility.

At 4:45 p.m., a debate on the theme “What future for the creative industries?” will provide an opportunity to reflect on how the law can “support innovation while reconciling creativity, compliance, and sustainability.” This comes at a time when European regulations on traceability, the environment, and the duty of care are forcing a rethink of value chains. This strategic topic will be addressed by Marc Abeles, anthropologist and philosopher, Doctor of the EHESS (School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences) and author of “Ré-génération: Quelle mode pour le Monde d’après?” (Regeneration: What fashion for the world of tomorrow?); fashion designer Marine Serre; Florence Guittet, Associate Director of IMPP, the French firm specializing in Category Management and lecturer at Paris Dauphine University and the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM); and Sébastien Raimond, Senior Lecturer in Private Law and Co-Director of the Master’s in Digital Law at Paris Nanterre University.

Finally, from 5:30 p.m. to 5:35 p.m., Emmanuelle Hoffman, Scientific Director of this fifth edition, will conclude the day by thanking all the participants and sharing the perspectives opened up by this fifth edition.