Conference programme

In this session reserved for in-house counsel, General Counsels and senior legal leaders from major luxury and fashion houses share their perspectives on the evolving role of legal departments. Topics include navigating digital transformation, managing cross-border regulatory complexity, balancing commercial agility with compliance, and building resilient legal teams. This candid conversation offers insights into how top maisons are structuring their legal functions to support business strategy while safeguarding brand integrity.

The selective distribution model is being tested by the rise of online platforms, authenticated resale markets, and repair ecosystems. This session examines how luxury brands can update their distribution strategies while remaining compliant. Panelists will discuss criteria for quality control in digital channels, conditions for platform participation and bans, reseller authorization frameworks, and how repair, refurbishment, and buy-back programs can integrate with selective distribution without crossing into anticompetitive territory.

Moving beyond traditional sustainability discourse, this session reframes the conversation around "longevity" as the strategic focus for brands built on design excellence and enduring quality. Panelists—including representatives from iconic design houses with decades of heritage—will explore how timeless product strategies, quality and durability metrics, and exceptional customer experience converge to create lasting value.

The discussion will examine how heritage brands translate their commitment to longevity into tangible practices: from brand-owned repair and refurbishment services that extend product lifecycles, to resale and circular economy pilot programs that honor the original design intent. Participants will share insights on maintaining relevance across generations while preserving the craftsmanship and innovation that define their legacy.
 

Hot topics in the fashion and luxury industry. This dynamic and interactive session will enable you to participate in 2 roundtable discussions related to hot topics in the areas of fashion and luxury. Moderators on each table will introduce the table topic stimulating a lively debate among participants. The session will provide you with a great opportunity to meet other lawyers and to discuss topics of mutual interest with them. The session is split into two parts: please choose two topics from the list below and join your first-choice topic table moving to your second-choice topic table during a ‘half-time’ changeover.

Topics include:

1. Antitrust enforcement in the fashion and luxury sector Moderator: Eva Cruellas Sada, Gianni & Origoni
2. New regulations for environmentally sustainable fashion Moderator: Christine Lenis, Bredin Prat
3. Supply Chain management: social-washing risks and due diligence obligations Moderator: Allison Raley, Arnall Golden Gregory LLP
4. Recent developments in IP caselaw in the fashion industry Moderator: Ilana Lubin, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
5. Litigation, Reputation, and the Luxury Brand: Managing Disputes in a Connected World Moderator: Erika Levin, Fox Rothschild LLP
6. M&A in fashion and luxury Moderator: Nanette C. Heide, Troutman Pepper Locke LLP

As part of the final session of the conference, join a guided tour of the Bourse de Commerce before the conference dinner at 7:00pm at Halle aux Grains. Located just a 10-minute drive or a leisurely 25-minute walk from Hôtel de Poulpry, tours will be staggered from 5:45pm, with departures at 5:45pm, 5:55pm, 6:05pm and 6:15pm. Please note that transport will not be provided.

The Exhibition Tour – discovering works and artists

After an introduction recounting the history and architecture of the emblematic Bourse de Commerce, this guided tour invites you to discover the ongoing exhibitions. Offering different viewpoints and insights, it encourages the encounter with certain selected works and helps you discover their creators.