Fashion Law | Fashion Lawyer | Fashionentlaw.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lawyers Launch Fashion Law Firm Serving Fashion Industry

FASHIONENTLAW.COM — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:22:19 +0000

Folks, I am VERY proud to announce the launch of my new firm with my business partner Ms. Unwam Oduok. Going forward, all discussions on fashion and entertainment law will take place on my new law firm blog site. Please take a minute to read and visit our new website.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lawyers Launch Fashion Law Firm Serving Fashion Industry

Bay Area, CA (May 16th, 2012)— Attorneys Uduak Oduok and Unwam Oduok announce, today, the launch of their new law firm, Ebitu Law Group, P.C. The Bay Area California headquartered law firm is one of the few firms in the USA offering Fashion Law services to the Fashion Industry.

“Many in the fashion industry have a need for lawyers with actual industry experience who understand the unique issues the industry faces,” said Attorney Uduak whose twenty years experience in the fashion industry encompasses modeling, media, publishing, fashion production, branding and public relations.

“Unfortunately and often, we hear these fashion professionals complain about how to find attorneys who “get” fashion; or worse, hiring attorneys who were clueless about the unique issues they faced as fashion professionals. We felt there was a market for a new type of law firm that gets the language of fashion.”

According to Oduok, Fashion Lawyers handle numerous matters in areas such as intellectual property, business law, licensing, contracts, textiles, merchandising and import/export. Fashion Lawyers also serve clients that range from retail stores, designers, manufacturers, modeling agencies, photographers, distributors, fashion editors, publishers, beauty companies to fashion houses.

The firm also offers legal services in other practice areas including Business Law (start-ups, incorporation (LLCs, Partnerships, Corporation), contract negotiations, contract drafting of a wide variety of agreements, breach of contract disputes, business debt negotiations, fraud/misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty claims, business dissolution and partnership dissolution).

“They say there is “power in numbers,”” said Partner & Attorney Unwam Oduok. “Our goal is that together with our passions, experiences and intellectual abilities, we provide and continue to provide quality, compassionate and experienced legal representation to our clients.”

About Ebitu Law Group, P.C.
Founded in 2012, Ebitu Law Group (ELG), a Professional Corporation, is an experienced firm committed to the pursuit of legal excellence and client service. The firm remains uncompromising in delivering quality, compassionate and affordable solutions to its clients’ legal problems, solutions that help its clients sleep well at night. The firm offers legal services in several practice areas including Fashion and Entertainment Law, Business Law & Litigation and Internet & Social Media Law.

For more information, visit www.ebitulawgrp.com.

Contacts

Ebitu Law Group, P.C.
Uduak Oduok, Esq. 1-888-242-8446/916-361-6506
(uduak@ebitulawgrp.com)

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Russell Solomon, Founder Tower Records, to be Honored May 5th, 2012 at the Artistic License Awards

FASHIONENTLAW.COM — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:02:43 +0000

Tomorrow, May 5th, 2012, Russell Solomon, a high school drop out who founded Tower Records and turned the company into a billion dollar business, will be honored at the 2012 Artistic License Awards in Sacramento, California. Present for the event will be some of the Bay Area and Sacramento’s prominent members of the community.

Solomon will be honored alongside Milton Bowens, Assemblymember Roger Dickinson, Lial Jones, Susan Orr and Jerry Perry his and all of their amazing work in the arts. I look forward to attending the event and hope to see some of you local Fashionentlaw.com readers there.

-Uduak

Local Event: Delta College Fashion Program Presents ‘A Story of Fashion,’ May 11th, 2012 at Lincoln Center

FASHIONENTLAW.COM — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:26:27 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEWS RELEASES FOR LOCAL EVENTS
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION:
THE FASHION PROGRAM
SAN JOAQUIN DELTA COLLEGE
CONTACT: Leslie Asfour

Program Director
Fashion & Interior Design
San Joaquin Delta College
209-954-5573

SHOWCASE OF EMERGING FASHION DESIGN TALENT!
A STORY OF FASHION IS IN ITS FIFTH YEAR, BRINGING FASHION TO STOCKTON IN A LIVE PRODUCTION FASHION SHOW!

(STOCKTON, CA – April 25, 2012)- One of the amazing gems of Stockton is the Fashion Department at San Joaquin Delta College and its annual Designer Collections Fashion Show. Each year, the college chooses a location in the community to present the best of its design talent in a full-fledged production show, with runway models, lights and music that rivals any show in San Francisco, Los Angeles or New York.

A STORY OF FASHION is in its fifth year, showcasing ten talented emerging designers with full collections. The elegant and up-scale fashion show is set for Friday, May 11, 2012 from 6:30-9:00 pm and will be held at Lincoln Center in the space that was formerly Flair Gifts, at 349 Lincoln Center.

Elegance has been the tradition of the Fashion Program’s shows. Unlike other student presentations, this show garners the respect of the fashion community, drawing to it such dignitary representation from Gumps, to Surface Magazine, to Ladybrille Media and Sacramento Fashion Week.

Ten up-and-coming designers, featuring a diverse range of collections, from elegant formalwear to futuristic designs, have been working diligently for the past ten weeks to get ready for the event. They must start with original sketches and patterns, using design inspirations to create a cohesive and professionally-produced collection of six seven looks. Seventy plus models will be their muses and the elegant Lincoln Center will be their backdrop. These designers have been challenged to present the best of their talent creativity.

This event has moved each year, from Haggin Museum to the brick courtyard on Delta and to the former Sundance Sports location at Lincoln Center. In its first year, the show sold over six hundred tickets. The year it was at Delta there were over 1000 people who attended. With the limited space of this year’s venue, the event will be quite exclusive..

This show is a culmination of several classes working together. The Collection Design class, lead by former student-turned-professor and successful designer in her own right, Natatlie Minori Sconce, is made up of advanced fashion design students who create the collections. The Fashion Event Production class is made up of advanced fashion merchandising students who plan and produce the event.

The production class begins on day one, recruiting models, hair and makeup stylists, fund support, staging, lighting, music, and all of the components of the show, and participating in other events to gain first-hand knowledge of the process. Each semester the class participates in regional events like A Soolip Wedding, an upscale, elegant wedding fair in San Francisco, as well as Sacramento Fashion Week this year.. The students get to experience a variety of events throughout the semester to understand the foundation of planning that is needed for the exhibit and show.

Tickets are $50. Guests will be treated to an amazing show, a wine reception prior to the show with a variety of hors d’oeuvres and desserts, as well swag bags with lots of goodies. Seating is very limited

Inquiries for tickets can be made by emailing the Fashion Department at fashion@deltacollege.edu or calling 209-954-5573.

On Saturday, May 12^th, to follow up the show will be an open house and mini-shows of each designer’s collection. This DATE WITH THE DESIGNERS will be ongoing throughout the day from 10 am to 6 pm and will give people an opportunity to see the garments up close, talk with the designers personally and learn more about the Fashion Program at Delta. If will also take place in the same location, 349 Lincoln Center and is open to anyone who wants to stop by. There is no charge for this event.

SJDC’s Fashion program has a history of amazing student success, even in the light of the challenging environment that the college has had. Fashion students have gone on to be designers, magazine publishers, retail store managers and educators. Some of the amazing talent that has passed through the fashion program at SJDC include:

Billy Hutchinson also graduated from Delta and the SF Art Academy and is now the Asst. Manager of Gump’s luxury department store in San Francisco. He also owns his own line of luxury stationary and papers.

Riley Johndonnel, who was in the program briefly, went on to become the owner of Surface Magazine in San Francisco and is now involved with the men’s wear brand, Nice Collective.

Nancy De Los Reyes, a visual designer for Papyrus with her BA in Fashion Design from Academy of Art, has her own fashion line and was described as one of the top 5 designers to watch in 7 X & Magazine.

Natatlie Minori Sconce, fashion designer and SJDC Fashion Design adjunct professor.

Lodi graduate Jennavave Barbero, who graduated from Delta and California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She moved to NYC shortly after graduation and designed for BCBG, Ellen Tracy and Calvin Klein, as well as other brands. She is now living in Milan, Italy teaching fashion design.

With all of the bad press that the college has had in the past few years, this is a great success story, one of many that the Fashion Program has brought to its community. Stockton can be proud of the fact that such a thriving and respected program exists in its community. Events like these are important to the community, showcasing local talent, exposing youth to career opportunities and bringing some culture to a community that has been portrayed in the media with a lot of negativity.

“The Fashion Program at Delta College is a rare gem in Stockton and is experiencing unique success at a time when education is being stressed in California, when budgets from the federal and state governments are slashing funds to schools and when Delta College is cutting classes,” said Leslie Asfour, who has been in charge of the program for the past twenty years. “After twenty years of running the program, it’s success is an example of the underdog rising in the face of such challenges.”

Asfour, a seasoned veteran, with thirty five years in the world of fashion, started at Delta when the program was just a “home sewing” program with very few courses and has built it up into one that is well respected in the fashion industry. She has produced many outstanding and prestigious events for the program, including the annual Meet The Fashion Industry Insiders, tapping her friends from the business in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. San Joaquin Magazine has dubbed her “San Joaquin’s Fearless Fashion Leader.”

She developed the Collection Design and Fashion Event Production classes five years ago to give the students some capstone experiences that they could translate to valuable career skills that could be taken right into a successful job in the industry. With an industry so large, Asfour felt the students needed to leave the program with a high-caliber experience that would set them apart from students in fashion programs at other colleges.

Kathy Vang, one of the student designers who has had a lot of media exposure recently with a garment she submitted to New York for an Alexander McQueen inspiration has been working on a collection inspired by gemstones and minerals. According to Kathy, “I’m looking forward to the exposure and, ever since I saw the Profile Magazine several years ago, I’ve been looking forward to taking the collections class and showing the world what I can do.”

Kathy has had great success in the program, being featured in the Record for her McQueen-inspired garment, on Fox 40 for her Eco Design Challenge and in other publications for the work she’s developed in the few years in the program. “I am grateful for the Fashion Program and for the connections Leslie’s introduced us to help us develop our skills to the standards of the industry.”

Visit us on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/FASHION-San-Joaquin-Delta-College/39660797553

To learn more about our programs and courses visithttp://www.deltacollege.edu/div/finearts/fashion/FASHION-SJDC_000.htm

UPCOMING EVENTS:

DESIGN ON DISPLAY – Open exhibit of student work in the Fashion and Interior Design Programs at SJDC; held on Friday, May 4^th in Danner Hall from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm; Free and open to the public.

A STORY OF FASHION- An Elegant Evening of Fashion – Designers Collection Fashion Show, Friday, May 11^th from 6:30-9:00 pm. 349 Lincoln Center. Tickets $50 (in advance only) available by emailing fashion@deltacollege.edu.

DATE WITH THE DESIGNERS- Open-house and mini-shows, Saturday, May 12^th from 10:00 am- 6:00 pm. 349 Lincoln Center. Free and Open to the public.

For Additional Information Contact:

Leslie Asfour

Fashion Program Director

San Joaquin Delta College

209-954-5573

lasfour@deltacollege.edu

Local Event: Mario B’s Second Annual Spring Bling Runway/Fashion Show

FASHIONENTLAW.COM — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:15:25 +0000

As a Bay Area native, I enjoy highlighting some events locally here. Here is one I recently received. Please check it out and if you will participate, be sure to do your own due diligence to be sure it is a fit.
***
Mario B of Mario B productions at Uptown Studio invites you to be apart of his next runway show, this years theme is Spring Bling. The show will be held May 19th at Uptown Studios 1738 Telegraph Oakland, Ca were looking for the hottest designers spring and summer appareal for men woman and children.Were also looking for Videographers, Models, photographers, Make Up Artist, Hair Stylist.

If your interested in participating in the show feel free to contact via email . . . listed below. Thank you your participation is greatly appreciated.

Mario B (mariobpro@yahool.com)

Lonzella Gourdine
(lgourdine301@gmail.com)

Fashion Law: Fashion Cloture – Intellectual Property & The U.S. Economy 2012 Report

FASHIONENTLAW.COM — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 03:48:39 +0000

My gorgeous colleague and fellow fashion law afficionado, Ms. Kenya Wiley, gives us an update from the Capital. It’s a report released by the U.S. Department of Commerce Office on Intellectual Property & The U.S. Economy. There are some key findings that is highly beneficial for all in the fashion and entertainment industries. Please visit Kenya’s blog Fashion Cloture to download the report.

Photo description: L-R: Fashion Law Colleague Muhammad of Fame Appeal, Kenya Wiley of Fashion Clouture at Fordham Law School of Fashion event.
Photocredit: Fordham Law /Fashion Law Institute

Fashion Law: Artist Prince to Pay Almost $4Million To Perfume Company for Breach of Brand Ambassador Agreement

FASHIONENTLAW.COM — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 03:01:44 +0000

I have discussed brand ambassador agreements in the past. I have also said when you sign up to be the face of a brand as a celebrity or personality, there are important obligations that come with it that must be fulfilled. A key part of such obligation is promotions. The recent case by a perfume company called Revelations, against the artist Prince, underscores my point.

“A New York judge Friday ordered pop star Prince to pay $3.95 million to a perfume maker for failing to promote the 3121 line of scents.

Prince was sued by Revelations Perfume and Cosmetics in 2008 for failing to promote the perfume, which was supposedly inspired by his 2006 album3121. The company said it spent millions of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses in reliance upon Prince’s commitment to promote, and when the matter went before a special referee, the estimation of actual damage was accepted. Now, a New York Supreme Court judge has confirmed the award.

Throughout the years, Prince has made a series of unique moves in the music industry, from the changing his name to the way he bundled the sale of albums with concert tickets.

On 3121, which became the first Prince album to debut atop the Billboard 200, the musician again made a highly interesting arrangement: Tying an album with a scent and clueing Universal Music Publishing Group into 50 percent of the perfume profits. Revelations made the licensing agreement with Universal, with an expectation that Prince would perform for them.

But something didn’t smell right.

Revelations accused Prince of refusing media interviews and doing in-store events. “Since July 2007, despite repeated attempts by Revelations, there have been virtually no communications from anyone who could commit to or coordinate any promotional efforts by Prince,” the lawsuit stated.

Minimum sales requirements weren’t met, and the licensing agreement was canceled.

The dispute wound up in court, with the company’s founder telling a special referee about the Prince statements he relied upon to make expenditures and with an expert testifying about the importance of a celebrity’s active participation in his name fragrance.

The referee found that the evidence supported the company’s claims of fraudulent inducement, fraud and tortious interference and awarded its out-of-pocket losses of $3,948,798.58 while denying lost profit damages and an award of punitive damages. . .”

THR,Esq. has the full story.

Photocredit: Penner via Wikicommons/Creative Commons Attribution License

Social Media Law: Is It a Federal Crime for an Employee to Check Facebook While Working? Judge Alex Kozinski Rules.

FASHIONENTLAW.COM — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 02:35:23 +0000

“No, checking Facebook on work computer isn’t a federal crime.

That’s the opinion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, anyway. In a ruling by Chief Judge Alex Kozinski Tuesday, the court rejected the government’s broad interpretation of an anti-hacking statute called the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

Judge Kozinski, writing for an 11-judge panel, explained the stakes in the introduction of his ruling:

Many employers have adopted policies prohibiting the use of work computers for nonbusiness purposes. Does an employee who violates such a policy commit a federal crime? How about someone who violates the terms of service of a social networking website? This depends on how broadly we read the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

The government argued that CFAA targeted both hackers and people who are authorized to use a computer, but do so for an unauthorized purpose. The Ninth Circuit, however, ruled that the law doesn’t extend to violations of use restrictions.

“Were we to adopt the government’s proposed interpretation, millions of unsuspecting individuals would find that they are engaging in criminal conduct,” Kozinski wrote. . .” – WSJ Law Blog has the full story.

-Uduak

Photocredit: Washington Examiner

FASHION LAW EVENT: Fashion Group International Philadelphia Presents ‘Protecting the Brand’

FASHIONENTLAW.COM — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 02:25:50 +0000

My Fashion Law colleague at Fame Appeal brings a fashion law event alert in his neck of the woods.

“Fashion Group Philadelphia presents a cutting – edge business discussion on Protecting the Brand – design, copyright and trademark issues with a stellar panel of legal and brand experts.

Our panel: Barbara Kolsun, General Counsel, Stuart Weitzman LLC; Guillermo Jimenez, Professor of Fashion Law, Fashion Institute of Technology; Lisa A Lori, Partner, Klehr, Harrison, Harvey, Branzburg, LLP; Kirk Widra, Professor of Fashion Marketing, Art Institute of Philadelphia

Networking / Trend 5:30pm; Panel Discussion 6:35pm; Q&A 7:30pm
Appetizers & Desserts | Cash Bar

Visit FameAppeal to read more details including where to purchase tickets.

-Uduak

Photocredit: Fame Appeal

EVENT: California Lawyer for the Arts Artistic License Awards 2012 Sacramento

FASHIONENTLAW.COM — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 02:11:20 +0000

The California Lawyers for the Arts, a non-profit organization, will hold its 2012 Artistic License Awards in two cities this year, Los Angeles and Sacramento, California. The Sacramento event takes place on May 5th, 2012. I have played a very small role, given time constraints, to add to the Sacramento event. For colleagues/readers in the area, it is definitely an event worth attending so please check out the details below and purchase your tickets here!

Artistic License Awards – 2012
Sacramento
Saturday May 5, 2012 @ 5 pm
Honorary Event Chair
MALISSA FERUZZI SHRIVER
California Arts Council Chair

Honoring:
CA Assembly Member Roger Dickinson
Milton Bowens, Artist
Lial Jones, Executive Director, Crocker Art Museum
Susan Orr, Mediator
Jerry Perry, Music Promoter
Russ Solomon, Founder,Tower Records

In 2008, the Board of Directors for California Lawyers for the Arts established the Artistic License Awards to recognize persons and organizations whom have mastered their arts (intended in the broadest possible sense) in extraordinary ways for the communities they serve.

This year’s honorees are examples of those whose acts of generosity and examples of innovation have inspired so many others to stretch beyond their “comfort zones” and take on the challenges of our time.
Master of Ceremonies: Dave Stone
Entertainment by: Dave Bass, Pianist

Major Sponsors
Keker & Van Nest LLP
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Munger, Tolles & Olson Foundation

Honorary Committee Includes:

Michael Alexander
Marichal Brown
The Honorable Willie L. Brown, Jr.
Abe Carnow
Jay Cooper
Mike Davis, CA Assembly Member
Steve Davis
Cindy Dezember
Marcy Friedman
Alexandra Gleysteen
Danny Glover
Clemons Gordon
Errol Gordon
Dan Gorfain
Joan Gorfain
Arthur Greenberg
Ben Guillory
Rhyena Halpern
Vivian Davidson Hewitt
Daniel Jaffe
Charmaine Jefferson
Tifanie Jodeh
Bob L. Johnson
Kevin Johnson, Sacramento Mayor
Muriel Johnson
Steve Kaplan
Ann Kanter
Rene Kathawala
John Keker
Don Knabe, LA County Supervisor
Richie Lawrence
Mark Litwak
Dennis Mangers
Kevin McCarty, Sacramento City Council Member
Carlin Naify
Adolfo Nodal
Ken Novice
Debra Pasquarette
Jan Perry, LA City Council Member
Elsa Ramo
Avis Ridley-Thomas
Mark Ridley-Thomas, LA County Supervisor
Deborah Santana
Cathy Segal-Garcia
Malissa Feruzzi Shriver
Shauna Smith
Ann Siprelle
Darrell Steinberg, CA Senator
Michael Solomon
Katie Thomas
Linda Tochterman
Ernest Uwazie
Joel Wachs
Melvin Watt, U.S. Rep.
Rodney Williams
Zev Yarovslavsky, LA County Supervisor

Fashion Law: “Hallelujah!” Israel Bans Underweight Models From Shows, Advertisements etc.

FASHIONENTLAW.COM — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 03:11:07 +0000

As a fashion model turned fashion lawyer with a good number of friends who still model, the news of Israel’s ban against underweight models is music to my ears.

Clearly the industry is cleaning house from Brazil to Spain and now Israel. We are also seeing fashion models in New York arm themselves with the law as they prepare to fight an industry that, to put it nicely, trample on their rights daily. Ex-model Sara Ziff leads the way with the establishment of the Model Alliance Movement. Ziff has teamed up with my colleague Susan Scafidi and Fordham Law School as well as the CFDA in taking the fight to the industry as well as educating models on their rights.

I look forward to connecting with The Model Alliance, among others, this September during Fashion Week, to be a part of the solution.

Read the story on Israel’s ban below, watch The Model Alliance movement campaign and read a short excerpt of Sara Ziff’s message on why she founded The Model Alliance below.

The Model Alliance Video Campaign from The Model Alliance on Vimeo.

Israel Bans Underweight Models From Fashion Shows, Commercials and Ads

After two anorexic Latin American models died in 2006, countries such as Italy, Spain and India began banning underweight models from the fashioncatwalks. Now Israeli lawmakers have banned underweight models from runway shows and commercials, to hopefully reduce eating disorders and promote a healthy body image in their country.

A new law passed this weeks requires that male and female models in Israel must have a body mass index (or BMI, a measure of weight proportionate to height) of no less than 18.5 — a standard used by the World Health Organization — or a note from a doctor saying they are not underweight before they can be hired for a modeling job.

For instance, a 6-foot-tall model must weigh no less than 136.5 pounds. The legislation also bans use of models who “look underweight,” and will force creators of ads must disclose whether they used Photoshop or graphic programs to manipulate images to make the models look skinnier. . .” -THR, Fash Track

Sara Ziff’s Message.
For too long, there has been a myopic disregard for the modeling industry’s systemic abuses of its workforce. While I have been very fortunate in my modeling career, I have also seen firsthand how the industry often disregards child labor law, lacks financial transparency, encourages eating disorders, and blindly tolerates sexual abuse in the workplace. The lucrative careers of high-profile supermodels misrepresent the reality for most working models, who are young, mostly female, and uniquely vulnerable.

For this reason, I have established the Model Alliance, a not-for-profit organization, with the assistance of fellow models and the Fashion Law Institute at Fordham Law School. Our goal is to work with progressive modeling agencies to give models in the U.S. a voice in their workplace and organize to improve their basic working conditions in what is now an almost entirely unregulated industry. How the industry treats its models influences the ideal presented in the magazines, and these images have a powerful, far-reaching effect on women in general.

Lack of financial transparency is a significant problem. Last year, three models brought a lawsuit against their New York agency Next for allegedly stealing $750,000 of their earnings. Like the plaintiffs, I also left an agency after becoming increasingly wary of their opaque bookkeeping, and I was paid the outstanding earnings owed to me by that agency only after I consulted a lawyer and threatened legal action. As a model, simply getting paid can be a major issue, and, of the models who achieve a coveted spot walking in New York fashion week, many in fact are never paid at all, instead working for free or for “trade,” meaning just clothes. (Note it’s not that models “get to keep the clothes” as is commonly thought.) Many young models also become crippled by debt to agencies that charge myriad of unexplained expenses and hold significant power over a model’s security as the sponsor for a model’s work visa.

While the majority of people working in fashion act professionally, sexual abuse is also a problem. Consider just the last few years: in 2008, fashion designer Anand Jon was found guilty of rape and multiple counts assault of aspiring models, who ranged from 14 to 21 years old. Last year, models began to speak out in numbers against the photographer Terry Richardson for his practice of putting models on the spot to disrobe on castings, soliciting sex from them, and documenting these exploits, and in November 2010, an aspiring male model sued a noted stylist for alleged sexual harassment. What is worse, in an industry that relies on kids working in unchaperoned situations, often far from home, the incentive to say nothing in order to keep your job creates an environment of coercion that is not only unconscionable, but also illegal. . .” The Model Alliance has the full introductory note

Hallelujah, really, to all of the movement on the Fashion model legal side of things.

-Uduak

Photocredit: Bellenews.com/Google images/Creative Commons License