Short Course in Fashion Law

Now in its tenth edition, this four week, 100 hour short course in Milan goes into the legal questions that shape the fashion and luxury industries, and the best practice used to answer them. It suits both fashion professionals and legal experts who want to build expertise in a fast moving field.;

Working alongside industry experts, you will cover brand protection and the forms trademarks take, along with the intellectual property rights used to safeguard creations and designs; negotiation techniques and the agreements specific to fashion and luxury; legal management of the supply chain, from advertising practice through to the regulation of digital fashion; protecting Made in Italy and tackling counterfeiting and product and brand falsification; and the business models of fashion and luxury companies, with real emphasis on the managerial processes behind them.;

The course is built on practical analysis, with real cases covering litigation, contracts and standards, and business simulations run with managers and legal professionals from the industry. It culminates in a mock trial. The course awards an official IIFM certificate.;

Teaching is entirely in English, with a bilingual Italian and English teaching assistant throughout. Applications close on 28 May 2027.

Fashion Processes & Business Models (10 hours) An introduction to the main business models that characterise the fashion system, the business logic underneath them, and the different positioning choices and strategies, through to their impact on how core processes are configured. The most current and relevant trends in the sector are introduced, with a focus on the fashion and luxury segments.

Fashion Design (10 hours) A look at the phases of developing a fashion collection, identifying both the activities involved in organising and managing creative processes and the planning of a collection's architecture against company and market constraints, with a focus on the design processes used: research, scenario, architecture of the collection.

Fashion IP Processes (10 hours) An examination of the different intellectual property rights available to protect products in the fashion industry. Working through requirements and procedures, the module covers how and under what conditions those rights are obtained.

Teaching alternates between case study discussion, meetings with managers and other industry representatives, classroom activity and project work.

At the end of the course there is career guidance for students aiming to work in the industry, and a shared evaluation of business ideas for those who want to start a venture.

On completion you join the IIFM alumni association, a global community of fashion professionals that opens up networking opportunities and career pathways. Learning is flexible: you can attend on campus, join live online sessions, or work through recorded lessons at your own pace.

Accommodation is not included in the course fee, and IIFM Milano recommends arranging it a few weeks before arrival. For reference, a private room in a shared apartment in Milan usually costs between 500 € and 600 € a month, and landlords may ask for a deposit of one to three months' rent.

IIFM Milano offers two housing routes through partnerships. Homizy provides coliving spaces three metro stops from the campus, with coworking areas, shared lounges and a discount for enrolled students.

Spotahome lets students book verified medium and long term accommodation online from abroad, with a 20 percent discount on the reservation fee for IIFM students. Discount codes and brochures are available from admissions@iifm-milano.it.