Tania Phipps-Rufus

Tania Phipps-Rufus is a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader of the BA (Hons) in Fashion Cultures and Business at the University of East London. She also serves as the Fashion Department Research and Innovation Lead. With a background in Law, Social Justice, and Sociology, she founded the Fashion, Law & Business platform and works as a Fashion Law Consultant to emerging designer brands.

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

Her research integrates legal, cultural, and socio-political dimensions of fashion, focusing on intellectual property law, cultural appropriation, sustainability, environmental justice, and social equity. She employs interdisciplinary methodologies to analyze the intersection of law and fashion, advocating for legal reforms to support emerging designers.

Tania’s publications emphasize the paradoxes of intellectual property in fashion, cultural heritage rights, and sustainable practices. Her work spans socio-legal frameworks, global design economies, and ethical retail strategies.

• AHRC-funded PhD scholarship
• AHRC researcher-in-residence scheme award at DACS

She has taught at Coventry University London, Goldsmiths, Istituto Marangoni, and the University of Hertfordshire. She co-convenes the Open Law Section at the Society of Legal Scholars (2020–2023) and contributes to journals like Fashion Theory and Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice. Her consultancy bridges legal gaps for startups and addresses cultural representation in fashion.