Category Archives: Lifestyle

Axel Arigato debuts limited-edition capsule collection celebrating Pokémon’s 25th anniversary

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To mark its quarter-century, Pokémon has joined forces with Swedish label Axel Arigato for a nostalgic, streetwear-inspired capsule collection with a contemporary twist.

Pokémon has become one of the most popular entertainment franchises in the world since it first took the world by storm in 1996, and now Axel Arigato is venturing into the ​​Pokémon universe by releasing a limited-edition capsule collection online today and in select standalone stores. The collection features some of the franchise’s most iconic Pokémon – Gengar, Charizard, Meowth and Pikachu – across both ready-to-wear and sneakers.

Drawing inspiration from the passion of Pokémon’s diverse fanbase, the accompanying promotional campaign captures the loyalty of the community, placing the members, and their archival collections, front and centre. Shot in New York, the Axel Arigato x Pokémon capsule is brought to life through the real-life portrayal of Pokémon fans and their collections.

The ready-to-wear collection blends iconic Pokémon with the contemporary Axel Arigato branding. Through a playfulness in logo application as well as a nod to the London Flagship store, the range marries retro iconography with modern silhouettes and tailoring.

The footwear offering consists of The Clean 90 Triple – a minimalist silhouette detailed with contrasting elements – and the Genesis Vintage Runner, a retro-inspired sneaker set on a lightweight modern streamlined sole which has become a bestseller.

Organic cotton hoodies and t-shirts in the brand’s seasonless colour palette of black, Belgian block and beige are available as well as a denim jacket and jean set, inspired by the outfit worn by Pikachu’s best friend, Ash Ketchum. The collection is limited and only available at Axel Arigato stores in London, Paris, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Gothenburg, and online at axelarigato.com.

Axel Arigato debuts limited-edition capsule collection celebrating Pokémon’s 25th anniversary

Posted on by

To mark its quarter-century, Pokémon has joined forces with Swedish label Axel Arigato for a nostalgic, streetwear-inspired capsule collection with a contemporary twist.

Pokémon has become one of the most popular entertainment franchises in the world since it first took the world by storm in 1996, and now Axel Arigato is venturing into the ​​Pokémon universe by releasing a limited-edition capsule collection online today and in select standalone stores. The collection features some of the franchise’s most iconic Pokémon – Gengar, Charizard, Meowth and Pikachu – across both ready-to-wear and sneakers.

Drawing inspiration from the passion of Pokémon’s diverse fanbase, the accompanying promotional campaign captures the loyalty of the community, placing the members, and their archival collections, front and centre. Shot in New York, the Axel Arigato x Pokémon capsule is brought to life through the real-life portrayal of Pokémon fans and their collections.

The ready-to-wear collection blends iconic Pokémon with the contemporary Axel Arigato branding. Through a playfulness in logo application as well as a nod to the London Flagship store, the range marries retro iconography with modern silhouettes and tailoring.

The footwear offering consists of The Clean 90 Triple – a minimalist silhouette detailed with contrasting elements – and the Genesis Vintage Runner, a retro-inspired sneaker set on a lightweight modern streamlined sole which has become a bestseller.

Organic cotton hoodies and t-shirts in the brand’s seasonless colour palette of black, Belgian block and beige are available as well as a denim jacket and jean set, inspired by the outfit worn by Pikachu’s best friend, Ash Ketchum. The collection is limited and only available at Axel Arigato stores in London, Paris, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Gothenburg, and online at axelarigato.com.

BlackMilk to release The Legend of Zelda clothing collection

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Fans of the hugely successful video game franchise will be able to show their love for The Legend of Zelda with an upcoming clothing collection from BlackMilk, inspired by six popular games in the series.

BlackMilk has previously collaborated with Nintendo on their Super Mario and Animal Crossing: New Horizons collections.

With more than 40 pieces in in the collection, BlackMilk’s latest range draws on six of The Legend of Zelda games: Breath of the Wild, Majora’s Mask, Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. Memorable scenes, items and characters from these games – along with famed hero Link and the wise Princess Zelda – feature on BlackMilk’s signature pieces, including leggings, dresses, overalls, active wear and unisex pieces. Two unique bomber jackets featuring artwork from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess are standout pieces, with easily recognisable patterns, motifs and large-scale back prints aimed at bringing the games to life.

The collection will be available for purchase from 7am (AEST) on 12 October at www.blackmilkclothing.com, with an online lookbook available at 12pm (AEST) on 6 October and a full collection preview at 9am (AEST) on 8 October.

BlackMilk to release The Legend of Zelda clothing collection

Posted on by

Fans of the hugely successful video game franchise will be able to show their love for The Legend of Zelda with an upcoming clothing collection from BlackMilk, inspired by six popular games in the series.

BlackMilk has previously collaborated with Nintendo on their Super Mario and Animal Crossing: New Horizons collections.

With more than 40 pieces in in the collection, BlackMilk’s latest range draws on six of The Legend of Zelda games: Breath of the Wild, Majora’s Mask, Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. Memorable scenes, items and characters from these games – along with famed hero Link and the wise Princess Zelda – feature on BlackMilk’s signature pieces, including leggings, dresses, overalls, active wear and unisex pieces. Two unique bomber jackets featuring artwork from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess are standout pieces, with easily recognisable patterns, motifs and large-scale back prints aimed at bringing the games to life.

The collection will be available for purchase from 7am (AEST) on 12 October at www.blackmilkclothing.com, with an online lookbook available at 12pm (AEST) on 6 October and a full collection preview at 9am (AEST) on 8 October.

A wild idea: Crazy Shirts partners with Discovery, Inc for animal-themed apparel

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In celebration of World Animal Day this week (4 October), Discovery, Inc, the global leader in real-life entertainment, and Hawaiian retailer Crazy Shirts have teamed up for a special Animal Planet apparel collection.

The Animal Planet x Crazy Shirt range includes 12 T-shirt and long-sleeve top designs, available in both men and women’s sizes, designed to capture the wild spirit of the animal kingdom.

Made from 100 per cent cotton that is ring-spun then combed to remove impurities, the fabric of each item is luxuriously soft and lightweight yet incredibly strong. Only environmentally friendly water-based inks have been used; these penetrate the material’s fibre, resulting in more vibrant colours, a softer feel and artwork that doesn’t crack or peel. All the designs are printed in the United States.

To check out the full range, visit www.crazyshirts.com. Prices range from $32–$44 US.

RHS and Caspari present the Sunflowers range of tableware and napkins

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The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has partnered with licensee Caspari, publisher of beautifully designed and printed paper products, for Sunflowers, a range of tableware and napkins.

The range consists of cocktail and luncheon napkins, guest towels, dinner plates and salad & dessert plates. There will also be a large gift bag and a bottle bag, with an additional gift bag and gift wrap to follow.

For the designs that appear throughout the range, Caspari brought together several botanical illustrations chosen from the RHS Lindley Collections – the world’s largest collection of botanical art. The RHS name appears on all packaging as well as on the products themselves.

All the paper products in the range are FSC-certified and made using environmentally conscious raw materials, ensuring that they are both biodegradable and compostable.

“Sunflowers are a joyful symbol of late summer and the early days of autumn, and these illustrations perfectly capture that splendid time of year,” says Gaea Rich, Licensing & Concept, Caspari. “We really feel this is tableware that many people will be thrilled to have at parties or gatherings.”

The RHS Lindley Collections contain more than 25,000 superb images of botanical art. RHS Enterprises Limited uses this artwork collection and RHS gardening expertise to create and endorse high-quality products, with each partner offered a tailored support package overseen by the RHS’s experienced Licensing team. In 2017 the RHS won the award for Best Licensed Heritage or Institution Brand at The Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards. In 2018, again at The Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards, the RHS Flora Apparel collection by COAST won the award for Best Brand Licensed Adult Apparel Product or Range.

The Sunflowers range was officially launched as part of Caspari’s autumn 2021 collection in June and will be supplied to wholesale customers worldwide. Stockists in UK and EU markets can pre-order wholesale product on b2bintl.casparionline.com. US customers can pre-order product on both Caspari’s B2B and B2C US websites. The full range is expected to be in stock for retail and consumers in all of these markets from early this month.

 

 

ARTiSTORY secures exclusive partnership with Dunhuang Culture and Tourism Group

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ARTiSTORY has entered into an exclusive partnership with Dunhuang Culture and Tourism Group that will enable the pair to work to establish a new licensing programme for key markets such as North America, the EMEA, and Asia.

This historical, multi-year partnership is one of the firsts of its kind for a Chinese cultural IP to be licensed to global retailers and consumer brands outside China.

Dunhuang Inspiration, an art and cultural brand established by Dunhuang Culture & Tourism Group will be operating this licensing programme with ARTiSTORY. Based upon the city of Dunhuang’s abundant cultural and tourist resources, DCTG holds the exclusive operation rights to the city’s well treasured cultural heritage sites. 

The city of Dunhuang sits at a unique position along the historical Silk Road. Lying by the Gobi Desert and north of the Mingsha Sand Dunes, Dunhuang was an essential resting point for travellers passing between East and West one thousand years ago. The gathering of diverse people and cultures led to Dunhuang’s prosperity with great legacies such as the world-famous stucco sculptures and murals of Mogao Caves.

Dunhuang Inspiration is a brand designed with cultural creativity and vitality. It embodies DCTG’s commitment to preserve, exhibit, and stimulate appreciation for the art of Dunhuang.

Through the partnership, Dunhuang and ARTiSTORY’s global creative team will collaboratively develop original design assets under annually refreshed themes such as “Voyage of Discovery” and “The Rhythm of Dunhuang” inspired by the world-class beauty of Dunhuang. Together, Dunhuang and ARTiSTORY will create a full spectrum of IP design assets such as illustrations, prints and patterns, badges, icons, colour palettes with narratives for licensees to use via merchandising, content marketing, online and offline retailing, and immersive experiences.

This will also help global retailers and consumer brands to engage more successfully with a global audience and speed up their market penetration in China, Japan, Korea, SE Asia, and beyond. 

Sun Xiaoqiang, chairman of Dunhuang Culture and Tourism Group, said: “Dunhuang culture is so profound that it requires our lifelong time to research and pass it on to our future generations. The Group, together with ARTiSTORY, will bring refreshed narratives of Dunhuang culture to a broader range of industries, blooming more brilliant light.”

Yizan He, founder and managing director of ARTiSTORY, added: “ARTiSTORY is delighted to partner with Dunhuang Culture & Tourism Group. We look forward to enabling global retailers and consumer brands to engage shoppers more effectively with art and cultural IP and storytelling.”

Magic Light Pictures partners with lifestyle brand Joules for exclusive The Gruffalo collection

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Magic Light Pictures is partnering with the premium lifestyle brand, Joules, for the launch of an exclusive collection of Gruffalo clothing and accessories for babies and toddlers. The new collection will launch in Joules stores and online mid-September.

The range features colourful apparel and accessories for babies and children up to six years old. Part of the Better Cotton Initiative, Joules’ range uses organically grown cotton for its items, spanning jackets, boots, hats, gloves, and bags adorned with the Gruffalo’s terrible teeth, tusks, and purple prickles.

The collection will also feature t-shirts, tops, leggings, dresses and jackets featuring vibrant images of The Gruffalo, Mouse, Fox, Owl and Snake, and patterns inspired by the deep, dark wood.

Daryl Shute, brand director at Magic Light Pictures, said: “We are delighted to launch this new licensing collaboration with Joules. As a contemporary country loving brand who share our values they are the perfect partners to capture the spirit and charm of The Gruffalo and this really comes across in this wonderful collection.

The team’s unrivalled attention to detail in delivering fun and quality for families has created fabulously stylish and quirky lines that we are sure kids are going to love wearing. We hope that our partnership will continue for many more such covetable collections.”

Josie Will, licensing manager at Joules, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Magic Light Pictures to create this enchanting new Gruffalo-inspired range. He is such a treasured character for families all over the world and we love him too – the story really chimes with our own rural roots and the way we take inspiration from nature.”

The launch will be supported by Joules’ online market place ‘Friends of Joules’, where you can discover a carefully curated selection of additional Gruffalo merchandise from the brand’s partner sellers.

Created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The Gruffalo is a modern classic children’s story that has been published in 105 languages. Magic Light’s award-winning animation has been seen in more than 185 countries since its launch on BBC One on Christmas Day 2009, which attracted 10 million viewers.

WildBrain CPLG lands raft of UK partners for Dr Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

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Dr Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Green Eggs and Ham will all be expanding their UK licensing presence in the coming weeks, thanks to a raft of new deals and consumer products programmes landing courtesy of the licensing agency, WildBrain CPLG.

Among the new signing, Brand Alliance will be delivering a range of apparel and accessories based on the How the Grinch Stole Christmas IP, where it will be joined by Solent Brands and its ‘bag for life’, H&A’s health and beauty items, and Fizz Creations’ gifting and kitchenware range.

Meanwhile, Beautiful Games will be developing stickers and decals for various Dr Seuss titles.

Further UK deals will see Brand International release How the Grinch Stole Christmas footwear and accessories, as well as nightwear for The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. Stor is creating a line of How the Grinch Stole Christmas kitchenware. The new ranges will roll out from Autumn/Winter 2021, with the How the Grinch Stole Christmas lines being available for the festive 2021 season.

John Taylor, VP northern Europe and managing director UK and France at WildBrain CPLG, said: “The iconic brands of the Dr. Seuss portfolio continue to celebrate enduring popularity among consumers, licensees and retailers alike. We’ve already established significant licensing partnerships for Dr. Seuss across Europe and these latest wave of deals will offer fans in the UK even more unique products across a compelling array of categories, such as health & beauty and kitchenware.”

Susan Brandt, president of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P., said: “We’re very happy with our partners continued success in the UK, making the Grinch a best-selling character at retail each year. It’s also exciting to see new and existing partners expanding our product categories for Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat, two properties that continue to make Dr. Seuss the number one licensed children’s book brand in the US.”

ARTiSTORY adds Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts to its growing art and culture portfolio

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Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts has become the latest cultural tourism hot spot to join the ARTiSTORY portfolio, offering the art and culture licensing specialist access to nearly 500,000 works of art to inspire designs to be licensed globally.

Founded in 1870, the MFA is recognised as one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world. Having first opened its doors to the public on July 4th, 1876, the Museum’s collection spans Egyptian, Greek, and Roman masterpieces, renowned works of art from the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Africa, and significant holdings of photography, prints and drawings, textiles, fashion, and musical instruments.

Meanwhile, launched in January 2021, ARTiSTORY’s vision is to extend the reach of its cultural partners to engage a wider global audience via comprehensive licensing programmes with global retailers, manufacturers, direct to consumer brands, and online retailers.

The programme reflects ARTiSTORY’s core capability of turning “Artefacts to Merchandise” and extends beyond with storytelling content through hybrid / digital exhibitions and immersive experiences, each supported by narratives that resonate with their targeted audience.

Katsushika Hokusai, Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, Alphonse Maria Mucha, Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne’s masterpieces will be some of the sources of design inspiration for ARTiSTORY’s annually refreshed themes of design assets, including patterns, prints, icons, stories and immersive experiences.

“We at ARTiSTORY are very pleased to have signed this iconic American institution. Having worked with Debra at the MFA previously I know first-hand what incredible artworks we will gain access to, and the beautiful designs our in-house creative team can produce,” said Yizan He, Co-founder and CEO at ARTiSTORY.

Debra LaKind, senior director, intellectual property and business development at the MFA, said: “At the MFA, we believe in the power of art to bring people together and foster cross-cultural understanding. Our mission includes reaching beyond the walls of the Museum, by pursuing collaborative opportunities to share our diverse collections with world-wide audiences.

“ARTiSTORY is uniquely positioned to help expand the MFA’s global presence in creative and engaging ways through storytelling and merchandise, bringing art into the everyday life of the consumer. We are thrilled to be working with the team at ARTiSTORY.”