Few voices are better placed to unpack the legal nuances of the creator economy than Bunmi Jenfa. A risk analyst by day and the founder of The Fashion Law Edit by passion, Jenfa is carving out a new path for legal literacy in the creator economy. Ahead of her appearance at this year’s CreatorFest, we sat down with her to discuss her unexpected career journey, the rise of legal issues in content creation, and why creators can no longer afford to ignore the fine print.
From family law to fashion law
Jenfa’s career was originally heading down the family law barrister path. “I loved family law, breathed it,” she says. But university also sparked a second love: fashion. While she had no formal background in the industry, she immersed herself in the scene, attending trade shows like Pure London and Scoop and surrounding herself with creatives.
A pivotal moment came when she attended an event featuring stylist and content creator Melissa’s Wardrobe. “She had a similar background to me, no formal training in fashion, but she was doing it,” Jenfa recalls. Eventually, she decided to combine her interests and start a fashion law blog, something she had never heard of at the time.
That seed of an idea soon grew into The Fashion Law Edit, a digital space exploring the legal and business sides of fashion. From covering iconic cases like the Louboutin red sole trademark battle to delving into sustainability and copyright issues, Jenfa’s blog quickly gained traction.
“People started emailing me wanting to write voluntarily, submitting their own pieces. I thought, why not?” she says. The blog’s momentum led to her becoming a finalist in the 2017 UK Blog Awards and winning an entrepreneurial prize from her university, which she reinvested into the platform.
Making law accessible (and actually interesting)
Jenfa is at the forefront of making law and fashion accessible to creators. She’s hosted multiple events, including a 2022 panel called Legally Influenced 101, featuring lawyers and influencer marketing professionals discussing legal best practices for content creators.
“There’s this idea that law is dry or boring, especially in creative spaces,” she explains. “But it doesn’t have to be. I want my events to be vibrant, accessible, and to get people talking about the stuff they usually avoid.”
It’s this commitment to bridging the gap between law and lifestyle that has brought her to CreatorFest, where she’ll be discussing the evolving legal landscape of the creator economy.
The legal blind spots creators need to know
As more creators build careers online that actually generate them an income, Jenfa sees the same issues popping up time and time again, starting with contracts.
“The biggest problem is either no contract at all, or creators signing ones they don’t understand,” she says. “You're essentially entering an agreement blindly, and if something goes wrong, you don’t even know where you stand.”
Another key issue is ownership. “When a creator produces content for a brand, the question is: who owns it? Can the brand reuse it? Can the creator repost it later for another campaign? These are the conversations we need to be having.”
Jenfa believes legal literacy is something every creator should be actively pursuing. “Start with the basics,” she advises. “Understand what a trademark is, what copyright means, and what intellectual property entails. There’s so much information at your fingertips. Even TikTok has brilliant legal creators explaining this stuff in plain English.”
And if you don’t understand something in a contract? Ask. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s not foolish, it’s smart.”
AI, aesthetics and the future of influencer law
Looking ahead, Jenfa sees technology and AI as the next major legal battleground. “We’re seeing more generative AI being used to make content, and platforms like TikTok are now requiring disclosure when it's involved. But there’s still a lot of grey area.”
Who owns AI-generated content? Does it need to be disclosed every time? And what about international creators working under different regulations? These are the questions Jenfa wants to discuss with attendees at her CreatorFest session.
She’s also particularly excited to dive into a hot topic: aesthetics and intellectual property. “There was a case recently in the US where one influencer accused another of copying their aesthetic. The vibe, the colours, the look. And it raises an interesting legal question: can you even own an aesthetic?”
It’s a provocative idea, especially in a world where trends like ‘clean girl’ and ‘quiet luxury’ sweep social media in waves. “We’ll be discussing whether copying a look counts as infringement, and whether giving credit is necessary. It’s something I’m really looking forward to unpacking with the audience.”
What’s next for The Fashion Law Edit?
Jenfa has big plans for the future. She’s aiming to host two more events before the end of the year and has already started planning an international programme for 2026. A flagship event is set for New York in March, where she’ll continue her mission of bringing legal education to the creative community.
“I want to help creatives understand the law in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming,” she says. “We only tend to think about legal stuff when something goes wrong, but I want people to be prepared before that happens.”
Bunmi Jenfa is making legal education for the creator economy not only accessible, but essential. Her CreatorFest session is set to be one of the most important conversations of the event for creators, and a must-attend for any influencer who wants to protect what they’ve built.
Don't miss your chance to join the movement.
Matthew Wood
If this conversation resonated, imagine the energy of being in the room with hundreds of creators, brands, and industry leaders all tackling the same challenges together. At CreatorFest you’re not just listening—you’re part of the community shaping what comes next.
Don't miss your chance to join the movement.
