Innovation and Intellectual Property: Creating Value and Cultural Currency in Fashion Products

This paper explores the creation of value and cultural currency in innovative and artisanal fashion products through the lens of intellectual property; looking at the importance of embedding intellectual property thinking into an enterprise’s business strategy.  Case studies of fashion collaborations and co-creative business projects explore how tangible and intangible elements are managed. To date, the vital role intellectual property plays in the value creation of such products has not been explored or mapped. This is due to Euro-centric business models of fashion brands positioning themselves as tastemakers and key decisionmakers in the final product design in most market segments. Euro-centric fashion design and low-cost manufacturing in developing countries has sometimes inadvertently resulted in cultural appropriation, and the value generated by the maker or creator has been subsumed. This paper is useful for small-scale creative enterprises and academics to identify and leverage intellectual property as a business strategy to underpin value creation in fashion and design collaborations.