Isabel Gandoy
Cuatrecasas, Barcelona
isabel.gandoy@cuatrecasas.com

The International Bar Association’s (IBA) European Regional Forum brought the global fashion and luxury law community together in London for the 2025 edition of its highly anticipated European Fashion and Luxury Law Conference. Held on 15–16 May at the iconic OXO2 venue, the event drew over 100 attendees, including leading legal professionals, in-house counsel and industry experts, all eager to explore the latest legal and commercial trends shaping the fashion and luxury sectors.

London, renowned as a global fashion capital, provided the perfect setting for this new edition of the conference. The city’s vibrant creative energy and rich heritage in fashion and luxury goods added a unique dimension to the event, inspiring attendees and reinforcing the importance of legal innovation in supporting industry growth.

The conference was skilfully chaired by Christine Blaise-Engel from Fidal, Paris, Panagiotis Drakopoulos from Drakopoulos, Athens, who serves as the Co-Chair of the European Regional Forum, and Isabel Gandoy from Cuatrecasas, Barcelona, who is the Chair of the Western Group of the European Regional Forum.

The quality of the speakers was a defining feature of the conference, with contributions from top legal minds and senior executives representing some of the world’s most prestigious fashion and luxury brands. This impressive roster underscored the conference’s reputation as a renown forum for thought leadership in the fashion and luxury law space.

The London edition of the conference tackled the most pressing issues facing the industry today. Among the key topics that were discussed, the following took centre stage:

• artificial intelligence (AI): the opening fireside chat, led by Satya Banerjee, Course Leader MSc Fashion Analytics and Forecasting at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, delved into the ethical challenges posed by AI in fashion, setting the tone for a forward-looking agenda;

• environmental, social and governance (ESG) and supply chain transparency: a high-profile panel featuring legal counsel from Christian Dior Couture and Nestlé, explored strategies for ensuring sustainability, transparency and compliance in global supply chains, as well as navigating the burgeoning second-hand luxury market;

• innovative distribution channels: legal leaders from Loro Piana and EssilorLuxottica discussed the evolution of distribution models for luxury brands, highlighting the legal complexities of omnichannel strategies and digital transformation; and

• legal hurdles in regard to AI: a dedicated session focused on the legal challenges in regard to data management, intellectual property and the risk of deepfakes, with insights from legal directors at MBC Media Group, WPP and WME Fashion.

Beyond the substantive sessions, the conference offered ample opportunities for networking, including a stylish host committee reception at the Century Club Lounge and a glamorous conference dinner at the OXO Tower Restaurant.

The event also featured a special segment on modern workwear for lawyers, with stylist Deborah Jackson Brown discussing how to dress for a lawyer’s lifestyle in collaboration with the fashion brand, Toteme.

The 2025 IBA European Fashion and Luxury Law Conference in London reaffirmed its status as a must-attend event for industry professionals across Europe and beyond.