The Legal Checklist Every Fashion Creative Needs | Clause & Couture

Clause & Couture • Fashion × Law

Trademarks, copyrights, contracts, digital protection, global IP, and ethical practices—translated into clear, couture-level steps.

Reading time: ~6–7 min

Fashion is vision stitched to structure. The structure part is legal—quiet, often invisible, and absolutely essential. We built Clause & Couture to give designers and founders a clear path through that landscape. If you’ve wondered, “Where do I even begin?”—begin here.

1) Protect Your Brand Identity (Trademarks)

Your name and logo are assets. Treat them like it.

  • Run a clearance search before you launch (avoid painful rebrands).
  • File a trademark for your word mark and, where distinctive, your logo/monogram/tagline.
  • Secure adjacent classes you’ll expand into (e.g., apparel + accessories).
  • Watch & enforce: set up monitoring; send polite but firm notices when needed.

2) Secure Your Creative Work (Copyright & Design Records)

Sketches, prints, lookbooks, CAD files—this is your original expression.

  • Document creation: keep dated files and process shots (they’re evidence).
  • Register when strategic: registration strengthens enforcement in disputes.
  • Watermark & archive campaign assets; store masters securely.
  • Set a response protocol for copycats: collect proof → draft notice → escalate.

3) Contracts Are Your Silent Guardians

Core Agreements

  • Vendor/Manufacturer: quality, timelines, IP ownership, remedies.
  • Collaboration/Capsule: who owns what, revenue split, credit, exit terms.
  • Model/Influencer: usage scope, duration, media, exclusivity, takedowns.
  • Employee/Freelance: confidentiality, work-for-hire, non-solicit, payments.

Operational Policies

  • Purchase/Return/Repairs: clarity prevents disputes and chargebacks.
  • Photography/Studio: who can shoot, how assets may be used.
  • Event/Pop-up: site rules, liabilities, insurance, cancellations.

4) Safeguard Your Digital House

  • Domains: grab your .com, .in, and key variations early.
  • E-commerce policies: Terms, Privacy, Returns—clear, human, compliant.
  • Platform hygiene: brand handles aligned; two-factor auth everywhere.
  • Content rights: you own your photos/videos; track licenses and credits.

5) Think International (Even If You’re Local)

  • Trademark expansion: consider Madrid Protocol for key markets.
  • Copyright portability: Berne Convention aids cross-border recognition.
  • Customs recordals: where available, block counterfeits at borders.

6) Labour & Ethics (Because Craft Deserves Care)

  • Written terms with artisans and units; pay fairly and on time.
  • Workplace safety: compliance isn’t optional—it’s reputation.
  • Supply-chain transparency: today’s consumer reads labels and values.
Why this matters: Legal isn’t there to cage creativity; it exists to protect it. Think of this checklist as the invisible stitching that lets your brand move, grow, and last.
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Note: This guide is educational and not legal advice. For specific matters, speak with counsel.

Free Download: CNC’s 1-Page Legal Checklist

Prefer a printable? Email us with subject line “CNC Checklist” and we’ll send the PDF.

“Protect the art, honour the craft, structure the growth.” — Clause & Couture

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