Sports and fashion are more interconnected now than ever, and March Madness is showing just how powerful the two industries are together — particularly for student-athletes. In this episode, Kenya talks with fashion law attorney Daniel Bellizio about his storied career representing iconic designers in luxury and sportswear collaborations, and his current work in talent management at Network — advising student-athletes on cutting-edge deals in the evolving landscape of name, image and likeness (NIL).

This conversation is a must-listen for designers, student-athletes and anyone interested in learning more about the merger of sports and fashion law. We discussed: intellectual property (IP) and other legal issues in collaborations and NIL deals; the business of talent management; what parents and student-athletes should know about branding and building a community; and whether it’s time for student-athletes and fashion designers to form unions to represent their respective interests.

Connect with Daniel Bellizio: LinkedIn

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Naomi Lefkovitz, former Senior Privacy Policy Advisor at NIST and White House Director for Privacy and Civil Liberties, joined the show to discuss how the surge in AI innovation impacts fashion and retail, and what's at stake for brands if they do not incorporate trustworthy and responsible AI. Ms. Lefkovitz played an instrumental role in the implementation of President Biden’s Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI, and she also shared her thoughts on what’s next for AI governance and policy in the return to federal deregulation.

Produced by Salomón Flamenco

Derrick Brent, former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Acting Director and Deputy Director, joined the show to discuss what DOGE means for fashion creatives and IP protection in the age of AI deregulation. Mr. Brent also discussed why student-athletes are now “businesses” and how fashion brands can be a part of the amazing world of name, image, and likeness (NIL).

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Produced by Salomón Flamenco

Fashion law and policy expert Kenya Wiley gets to the heart of key legal and political issues impacting the trillion-dollar fashion industry — from production to your purse. Each week, we’ll have unfiltered conversations with government and industry leaders, diving deep into critical issues like AI's impact on design, sustainability challenges, social media's transformative power, and the game-changing world of name, image, and likeness (NIL) connecting sport and fashion. Whether you're a design or fashion law student, industry professional, or content creator, the Suited pod has you covered. New episodes drop starting March 13.

Produced by Salomon Flamenco

Music is KingPin by St.Society