Footwear designers Sam and Libby Edelman visited Cardozo on Oct. 10 to talk about the success of their eponymous brand and give advice to future lawyers on how to work in a creative industry.

Professor Barbara Kolsun, director of The FAME Center, interviewed the couple about working in the fashion business, asking how they got started 40 years ago and what the industry's future holds.

The Edelmans stressed how important inclusivity in fashion is to them, noting that their brand carries shoes up to size 14 while maintaining comfort, style and quality.

They also discussed the value of partnership in their professional and personal lives and how to balance both. 

The Edelmans, who have been married for over 40 years, said that placing an emphasis on partnership is a key reason for their success. In addition to prioritizing partnership in their marriage, they prioritize it in the partnerships they have with other businesses, including those they license their name to and their parent company, Caleres.

Kolsun was a consultant for Sam Edelman on their licensing agreements in the past, and they discussed working on agreements.

“Our company owns the name Sam Edelman, Sam and Libby and Circus,” Sam said. “So, we own all the rights around that name. We ourselves manufacture footwear, but we don't manufacture all the other things ... When people rent your name, which is what licensing really is, they don't always pay as much respect to it, and they want to get as much as they can out of it as quickly as they can.”

The Edelmans also discussed the importance of giving 50/50 in relationships, and how, when working with companies, to take time to make sure the cultures blend and mesh to create a new culture from that partnership.

The couple gave advice to future fashion lawyers, emphasizing the importance of a different kind of partnership — mentorship.

“All the young people around me in our business, they keep me young ... when I go to offices, and I see an older professional that I really respect, and then there's younger crews, those older professionals are bringing them along, but also learning along the way,” Libby said. “Think about a place where, as a younger person, that they're going to listen to you, and that you're going to really matter.”