Category Archives: Lifestyle

Van Gogh Museum partners with Australia’s Anthea Crawford to launch 19-piece collection

Posted on by

The Australian womenswear designer, Anthea Crawford, has partnered with the Van Gogh Museum to launch a limited edition autumn/winter 2021 collection to international retail, thanks to a deal brokered by IMG.

Launched on May 14th, the new line features Vincent van Gogh’s iconic artwork, bold colours, and signature styles in a 19-piece collection of dressed, blouses, t-shirts, trousers, coats, and jackets. The range has been developed in celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Anthea Crawford brand.

The range will be available worldwide from www.antheacrawford.com.au, as well as David Jones and Myer department stores across Australia, with prices ranging from AUD $149 to $699. The first 500 customers to purchase through the Anthea Crawford website will also receive a complimentary ‘Sunflowers’ sketch tote bag.

“It’s our 45th year of Australian style and to celebrate we have collaborated with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam,” said an Anthea Crawford spokesperson. “Timeless beauty, expressive colour and irresistible texture plays have always been central to Anthea’s vision. It’s been a great honour to work so intimately with the priceless masterpieces of Vincent van Gogh, which have inspired us for so many years.”

Mark Minkman, managing director (a.i.), Van Gogh Museum, commented: “We are very proud to collaborate with Anthea Crawford and develop these sophisticated garments together, especially in these challenging times. This partnership enables us to inspire people with the art and heritage of Vincent van Gogh combined with the quality and characteristic prints of Anthea Crawford. Every purchase of this Anthea Crawford x Van Gogh Museum collection supports the work of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.”

Diana De Jesus, licensing manager, IMG, added: “Vincent van Gogh’s work has become a mainstay of culture and the Van Gogh Museum’s mission is to inspire present and future generations by making it more accessible. We are really excited to see the launch of this collaboration with Anthea Crawford, which perfectly captures the iconic beauty and legacy of Van Gogh’s exceptional prints.”

A portion of proceeds from each purchase will support the work of the Van Gogh Museum which houses more than 200 Vincent van Gogh paintings, 500 drawings, and 700 written documents.

Icefresh Foods launches Minions Ice Creams exclusively with Aldi stores across the UK

Posted on by

Icefresh Foods has embarked on a new partnership with Universal Brand Development to launch a line of Minions Ice Creams, a range taking inspiration from the hit kids’ franchise and launched exclusively with Aldi stores across the UK.

The range – marking Aldi’s first – has hit stores from today (Monday, May 17th), offering a vanilla and blue raspberry ice cream inspired by the popular Minions characters. The lollies feature distinctive yellow bodies, blue overalls, and a signature Minions eye. A box of six retails at £1.49.

Icefresh brand manager, Lucy Wright, said: “We’re so excited to be launching yummy Minions Ice Creams this summer. It’s been really important to us to be able to bring the UK some much-needed fun and we cannot wait to see the response.”

Established in 1983 Icefresh Foods works in collaborative partnership with manufacturers and brands to supply quality, award-winning ice cream and desserts to the UK retail and foodservice markets.  

Bimber Distillery partners with Transport for London to launch The Spirit of the Underground collection

Posted on by

London’s award-winning Bimber Distillery has launched its “The Spirit of the Underground” collection of single malt whiskies, each featuring a different station on the London Underground network. The partnership between the distillery and Transport for London was brokered by the brand’s global licensing agency, TSBA Group.

The launch range showcases four well-known Tube stations: Waterloo, Baker Street, King’s Cross St Pancra, and Oxford Circus, with each bottle featuring stylish iconography presenting a unique piece of London’s history. Each comes adorned with an eye-catching label and packaging design that observes the significance of each station’s location.

The four initial releases of the collection have been selected from the distillery’s finest ex-bourbon casks and are offered at full cask strength and without chill filtration. Each reveals a highly individual, but perfectly balanced merger of aroma and flavour that reflects the passion and craft of Bimber.

The cask selected for the Baker Street expression was chosen by the members of the 2020 Bimber Klub Tasting Panel – the distillery’s rapidly growing membership community.

 Speaking of the launch, Bimber spokesperson Matt McKay said: “We’re delighted to unveil this exciting new partnership and the first expressions of The Spirit of the Underground Collection. As we approach the fifth anniversary of our spirit, this collaboration with Transport for London celebrates both one of the great engineering projects of the past 200 years and the ongoing development of our spirit. Bimber is very much a product of London and we’re thrilled to showcase our single malt whisky in this most incredible way.”

With 270 stations on the network to select from, The Spirit of the Underground Collection is intended to grow alongside Bimber. New expressions will be added in batches (four single casks at a time) populating each of the Underground’s 11 lines and reflecting the vibrancy and multiplicity of the stations and locations throughout the capital city.

Julie Dixon, head of customer information design and partnerships at Transport for London, said: “This imaginative collaboration really shows off the visual splendour of our historic and instantly recognisable Underground network. It’s been great to work with a London-based distillery to create this collection and we hope fans of whisky will enjoy this collection as it grows.”

Release one of The Spirit of the Underground Collection will be available later this month with an RRP of £125 per bottle. Release two, which will feature four more iconic London Underground stations, is scheduled to be unveiled over the coming months.

All the expressions in The Spirit of the Underground Collection were crafted to Bimber’s exacting standards. The spirit was produced from the distillery’s single farm barley and malted on a dedicated floor at Warminster Maltings before being fermented for seven days in bespoke, on-site constructed American oak washbacks.

Distillation took place in Bimber’s customised stills which possess an increased copper surface area, which results in a rich fruit-forward, layered spirit. 

Sesame Street’s Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Elmo partner with watchmaker Bamford London

Posted on by

Bulldog Licensing has inked a new deal with the luxury watch manufacturer, Bamford London, to create three limited edition pieces based on the popular Sesame Street characters, Big Bird, Elmo, and Cookie Monster.

Making up part of the Bamford London range, the company will sell just 20 pieces of the Big Bird design and 50 pieces each of the Elmo and Cookie Monster designs. The Bamford London dual time GMT features Big Bird, The Bamford London Mayfair Date shows Cookie Monster and the Bamford London Mayfair Sport features Elmo.

On the face of the Bamford London dual time GMT, Big Bird moves his feathered arms around the dial as the hour and minute hands. Many of the hour markers have been replaced by feathers, while the features of the original version of the watch all remain.

Cookie Monster’s arms as the hour and minute hand on the Bamford x Sesame Street Cookie Monster Mayfair Date, move around the dial pointing to cookies (some already nibbled) as the hour markers. Following the success of the first Mayfair, the new version features the Swiss Ronda 715 Date Quartz Movement. 

Finally, Elmo’s design will see the character surrounded by musical notes in place of hour markers on the Bamford x Sesame Street Elmo Mayfair Sport. The Sesame Street logo features on the dial and a white ring has been added to match the white minute markers. The watch features a Miyota Quartz Calibre 2035 movement and 10ATM water resistance. 

George Bamford, founder of Bamford London, said: “Who doesn’t love Sesame Street? The brand has reached far and wide, and we are so happy to partner with Sesame Street and have these iconic characters on the dial of our watches. There is nostalgia and a splash of colour which can brighten up your day when you look down at your wrist.”

Rob Corney, MD of Bulldog Licensing, added: “We’re delighted to be working with Bamford London on this amazing collection of watches. Their reputation for great design and a high-quality product is a perfect fit with one of the world’s favourite entertainment brands.”

ARTiSTORY taps Marcrom Licensing as sales agent for Iberian market

Posted on by

ARTiSTORY has appointed Marcrom Licensing as its sales agent for the Iberian market, a move that sees the art and culture licensing specialist position itself for further growth across Europe and beyond.

Under the deal, Marcrom will focus on securing retail and brand partners to feature designs from ARTiSTORY’s biannually refreshed creative themes across its growing portfolio of art and cultural IP.

Recognising that appealing designs are key to the success of any product, ARTiSTORY’s dedicated creative team works to identify themes and research appropriate artefacts from its mainstream museum partners, before developing design assets such as prints and patterns.

Founded in 2015, and based in Barcelona, Marcrom is headed up by Ivan Marco.  The company represents a selection of corporate, entertainment and lifestyle brands such as fashion brand Munich or the television series Peaky Blinders.

“Home to several global retailers the Iberian is a key market for ARTiSTORY and our clients. We believe local expertise is very important when building a global business which is why we’ve chosen to work with Marcrom,” said Natasha Dyson, co-founder and licensing director, ARTiSTORY.

“Ivan instantly understood our business model and his wealth of experience, connections and ideas really impressed us.  We welcome this new partnership together to bring art and cultural IP to the Iberian market.”

Ivan Marco, ceo of Marcrom, added: “It is a pleasure to be part of the ARTiSTORY team. From the first time I discussed this project with Natasha I fell in love with the idea of working with art and cultural IP. Art has always been part of our lives and thanks to the partnership between ARTiSTORY and Marcrom we will now be able to bring art even closer to people through various product categories such as home, apparel and accessories and gift, among other.”

Finnish brand CupofTherapy secures Hot Topic retail partnership for Mental Health Awareness Month

Posted on by

The Finnish lifestyle brand CupofTherapy is drawing attention to the importance of wellbeing and mental health this Mental Health Awareness Month thanks to a new retail partnership with Hot Topic.

Under the new partnership, more than ten t-shirt designs taking inspiration from the artwork of CupofTherapy will launch to the Hot Topic website as part of a deal brokered by CupofTherapy’s North American agent, FanGirl Consulting and Brand Management.

The Finnish brand aims to introduce important themes of wellbeing and mental health through its distinctive and approachable animal figures. Its drawings and thoughtful messaging are developed as a combined effort by psyhotherapy professionals Antti Ervasti and Elina Rehmonen, alongside the internationally recognised artists and illustrator, Matti Pikkujämsä.

CupofTherapy carries the mantra ‘mental health made visible’ as it looks to encourage people to reflect on their life and find comfort, encouragement, and joy in simple things, as well as acknowledge the importance of dialogue around important mental health issues.

“We’re excited to work with Hot Topic on a retail program to further mental health awareness,” said Anita Castellar, CEO of FanGirl Consulting and Brand Management. “After the year that we have all been through, a cup of therapy is in order for all of us.”

Swizzels cooks up a treat in cookie mix partnership with Food Innovations Baking Group

Posted on by

The British sweet manufacturer, Swizzels, has teamed with Food Innovations Baking Group to launch a Giant Drumstick Squashie Cookie mix, bringing the Original Raspberry and Milk Drumstick and Drumstick Original flavours to a new market of sweet-toothed fans.

The cookie mix is now available at B&M stores nationwide, targeting Squashies fans across the country, or any one looking to jazz up their celebrations this summer with personalised cookies. The mix is baked with with Original Raspberry and Milk flavoured Drumstick Squashies, and comes with Drumstick Original flavoured icing.

The range has been developed to tap into the demand for giant cookies that, according to Food Innovations, has been growing here in the UK.

Sarah-Louise, marketing manager at Swizzels, said: “Drumstick Squashies is our best selling product, so we’re thrilled to have combined it with a cookie mix, allowing fans to enjoy Squashies in a new, fun way.

“The personalisation element also makes it perfect for so many celebrations – whether it’s a birthday, anniversary or even a gender reveal party, it’s a great alternative to a celebration cake.”

Clare Boothman, brand and licensing manager at Food Innovations, said: “Giant cookies have increased in popularity and this collaboration with Swizzels’ Drumstick Squashies is a winning combination. They look fantastic on fixture and the kits are consumer friendly to make for all ages. We are receiving amazing feedback from consumers on this product as it allows them to show their creative side.”

Swizzels is the UK’s largest family-owned independent sugar confectionery business and one of the few confectionery companies to still manufacture sweets in the UK.

The company makes a range of well-known products including Love Hearts, Refreshers, Drumstick Lollies, Rainbow Drops, Double Lollies, Squashies and Fruity Pops.

Adidas and Timex Group partner to launch Adidas Originals branded watches in 2022

Posted on by

The international watchmaking company, Timex Group, has entered into a global licensing agreement with Adidas to design, manufacture, and distribute watches under the Adidas Original brand.

The collection is scheduled to hit the market at the start of next year and will look to blend Timex Group’s heritage in watchmaking and design with Adidas Originals’ street culture inspiration. The portfolio of watches will also draw attention to the brand’s focus on sustainability.

“We could not be more excited to welcome Adidas into our portfolio of brands,” said Tobias Reiss-Schmidt, president and CEO of Timex Group.

“There are few truly iconic brands, and Adidas, with its rich history and authentic style, is at the very top of the list. We see a strong and increasing interest in watches among young Millennials and GenZ, and we look forward to introducing our Adidas Originals watch collection to this next generation of consumers.”

The range will be sold across Adidas owned stores, affiliates and e-commerce, and through Timex Group’s global distribution network.

Gucci to launch special collection based on hit anime series Bananya in Crunchyroll partnership

Posted on by

The global anime streaming brand, Crunchyroll has landed a new fashion collaboration with Gucci to launch a selection of special items featuring characters from the original Japanese anime series, Banyana. The anime follows the lives of a cast of tiny cats who live in bananas.

The special items created by Gucci include seven womenswear items – four G Loved base short-sleeve cotton t-shirts and three felted cotton sweatshirts, that are adorned with the playful Bananya characters.

The sunlight sweatshirt and short-sleeve t-shirt display the Bananya Bunch, the three younger siblings of Bananya. Tabby Bananya is featured with Bananya on a sugar pink hoodie and two short-sleeve t-shirts, which come in timeless black and lemonade colour options. The carefree and optimistic Bananya is featured on a sugar pink short-sleeve t-shirt and a mint green sweatshirt.

For women, there are two styles of trainers and a pair of slides that are all adorned with Bananya and Tabby Bananya. On the trainers, for both women and men, the two cats sit in their banana atop the Gucci green-red-green Web stripe. Meanwhile in jewellery, there is a coloured crystal and fabric brooch with the trio of cats that make up the Bananya Bunch, and one with Bananya on his own. A chain necklace in metal with gold finish featuring Bananya as a pendant fashioned out of crystals and enamel also features.

The Bananya series is produced by studio TMS Entertainment and both seasons can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll worldwide, outside of Asia.

Crunchyroll is a leading anime brand with more than four million subscribers and over 100 million registered users. The brand offers an anime library of more than 1000 titles and 30,000 episodes to more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Macmillan Children’s Books launches new Dear Zoo babywear collection to Tesco

Posted on by

Macmillan Children’s Books has launched a new clothing range for Tesco based on the classic and much-loved children’s story, Dear Zoo, created by Rod Campbell. The latest collection follows the success of the first Dear Zoo apparel range across Tesco stores in 2020.

The babywear collection is now available in-store and is made up of six garments for babies aged 0 to 24 months, including a sleepsuit, sleeping bag, pyjama sets, vests, and bibs. The new designs introduce two new colours to the Dear Zoo palette, which fit alongside the existing and classic Dear Zoo imagery.

A large social media influencer campaign accompanies this launch and will showcase sample outfits and books to over 350k consumers.

Stephanie Barton, publisher, preschool, brands and classics, Macmillan Children’s Books, said: “We were delighted by the success of the Dear Zoo babywear in Tesco last year and couldn’t have been more pleased when they wanted to do a new range for 2021. They are a brilliant partner, and the clothing sits well alongside the other bespoke licensing that we have for Dear Zoo.

“The classic story continues to grow in popularity each year and has now been loved across three generations of families. This new apparel gives something extra to families who really love the brand, while introducing new families to the animals and the story.”

The Dear Zoo classic storybook offers the magic of a shared storytelling experience as a variety of animals are sent from the zoo. The story brings a sense of humour, anticipation and discovery as the child turns the pages. It continues to be at the heart of families throughout the UK and around the world and was the bestselling picture board book in the UK in 2019.

Macmillan Children’s Books will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Dear Zoo in 2022 and plans are being laid for an extensive on- and off-line consumer marketing campaign across the brand. The Dear Zoo Live on Stage play production hopes to tour 20 venues with 80 shows nationwide in autumn 2021, depending on COVID regulations. Since its launch in 2018, nearly 85,000 children and families have already enjoyed the performances and it has also successfully toured in the UAE, Hong Kong and Singapore.

This new clothing launch continues the growing story around Dear Zoo and Macmillan is looking forward to building on its success in the soft toy, nursery, gifting and stationery sectors shortly.