Headshot of Tania Phipps-Rufus

Tania Phipps-Rufus

Senior Lecturer

Fashion Law & Social Justice, Fashion Culture, Fashion History & Theory, Business of Fashion, Cultural Appropriation & Cultural Heritage, Intellectual Property Law

Department of Media, Fashion & Communications , School Of Arts And Creative Industries

Tania Phipps-Rufus (LLB Hons, LLM & PhD candidate) is senior lecturer and Course Leader of the BA (Hons) in Fashion Culture and Business and Fashion Department Research and Innovation Lead at the University of East London. 

Tania is an interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary researcher and was awarded a fully funded PhD scholarship by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (in 2013) to conduct her PhD in Law on Intellectual Property. With a background in Law, Social Justice, and Sociology, Tania created Fashion, Law and Business, a platform that offers commentary on legal cases and culturally topical issues in fashion and works as a Fashion Law Consultant to emerging designer brands and businesses in the fashion industry.

Qualifications

  • PhD Law Candidate, University of Bristol (submitted)
  • LLM (Master’s) Intellectual Property Law, University of London, Queen Mary (2007)
  • LLB Law with Hons, University of Kent, Canterbury (2005)

Areas Of Interest

  • Fashion culture
  • Fashion technology
  • Intellectual property law
  • Cultural theory, sociology and interdisciplinary methodologies,
  • Circular fashion, sustainability and environmental justice
  • Social justice and rights
  • Traditional knowledge, cultural heritage and cultural appropriation
  • Representation, diversity and inclusion
Headshot of Tania Phipps-Rufus

OVERVIEW

Before joining UEL, Tania taught at Coventry University London, Goldsmiths University of London, Istituto Marangoni and the University of Hertfordshire.

Tania read law at the University of Kent, Canterbury (2002), and obtained her Master of Laws degree, (LLM) in Intellectual Property Law at the University of London, Queen Mary (2006).  She was awarded an AHRC-funded research scholarship to conduct a PhD through which she has gained rare experience working with key players in the fashion industry. In 2015 she won the AHRC researcher-in-resident scheme award at DACS, the Design and Artist Copyright Society.

She is co-convenor of the Open Law Section at the Society of Legal Scholars (2020-2023) and also regularly comments on book proposals for Routledge, Elgar Publishing and has refereed articles for several leading journals: The Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Fashion Theory; Journal of Body, Dress & Culture, and the Journal of Critical Studies in Fashion & Beauty.

Her current research focuses on the legal, cultural, intersectional and policy aspects of fashion.

RESEARCH AND IMPACT

Tania’s PhD is a socio-legal study.  Her thesis was concerned with the effectiveness of the UK intellectual property regime and captured the lived experiences of emerging and independent designers in the fashion industry and their views and experiences of copying and interactions with the legal regime of intellectual property law. Employing cultural and sociological theory her PhD study improves understanding of the effectiveness of the legal regime of IP for start-up designers. Her analysis included the production of several written recommendations for how to improve design laws in favour of designers as well as legal reforms.

PUBLICATIONS

  • Phipps-Rufus, T. (2017) ‘Intellectual Property, (Cultural Appropriation) & Reclaiming Cultural Heritage; Rights, Ownership – Exploring Alternatives Models Through Lens Of The Fashion Industry,’ Coventry University, School of Law (invitation
  • Phipps-Rufus, T. (2017). Paradoxes and Paradigms: A closer look at the role of intellectual property in the fashion industry. 17th Annual Intellectual Property Scholars Conference at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, University of Yeshiva.
  • Phipps-Rufus, T. (2017). Fashion and Intellectual Property Law; Applying a Bourdieusian Theoretical Framework. The Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference, University of Newcastle.
  • Phipps-Rufus, T. (2016). Fashion, Intellectual Property and Culture in the Creative Economy. Enterprise of Culture Conference, Interrogating Intellectual Property Rights: Fashion and Design, University of Oslo
  • Phipps-Rufus, T. (2015). Imitation, Inspiration or Theft: What does intellectual property mean in a global design economy? Design Culture Salon, Victoria & Albert Museum. (Invited speaker)
  • Phipps-Rufus, T (2013). Ethical Fashion Futures Workshop: Changing Habits in Retail, University of Southampton.
  • Phipps-Rufus, T. (2012). Eco-fashion, Culture and the Law

EXTERNAL ROLES

  • Founder of Fashion, Law & Business (2013 - Present)
  • Co-Convenor of the Open Subject Section, The Society of Legal Scholars, (2021 – 2024)

TEACHING

BA (Hons) Fashion Cultures and Business

Explore the dynamic world of fashion with our Fashion Cultures and Business course. Blend creative practice with business insights, studying fashion history, culture, marketing, and branding.

Read more about this course

Publications

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Full publications list

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