Category Archives: Lifestyle

Rubies expands Wizarding World range with new character costumes and accessories

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Rubies have helped to bring the magic of the Wizarding World to life through their range of officially licensed costumes for years, being trusted by fans and customers alike to help re-create the Wizarding World in anyone’s home. Now, the phenomenally successful range of bewitching costumes is expanding, with brand-new character costumes including fan-favourites Hagrid, Luna Lovegood and Professor Dumbledore, and Hogwarts House dress-up and accessories.

Rubies have continued to produce some of the most iconic costumes and Hogwarts uniforms from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film series, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products. From Gryffindor and Slytherin Robes to character costumes like Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, the costumes have proved to be some of Rubies’ most successful lines for children and adults alike, especially around seasonal events like World Book Day and Halloween.

Rubies is now welcoming a whole host of brand-new ‘inspired by’ costumes, with tutus featuring enchanting metallic Hogwarts House designs, a Hogwarts cape with shimmering detail, and favourite characters like Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Luna Lovegood, Hagrid and Professor Snape. Children will be able to expand their collection of favourite characters from the series, with a wide range of these costumes available both now and in time for Halloween.

Mike O’Connell, Rubies Managing Director, says “As one of our most successful licenses, Harry Potter and the wider Wizarding World has stood the test of time, being popular with generation after generation of children. Our relationship with Warner Bros. Consumer Products has also gone from strength to strength and we are thrilled to be trusted by the global enterprise with their stellar portfolio of characters. Now, we welcome a new collection to one of our top-selling licenses with costumes that have long been sought-after by fans, including the beloved characters Luna Lovegood and Hagrid. We are incredibly excited to see fans’ reactions to these costumes.”

Order your costumes soon from rubiesuk.com.

Nicole Scherzinger makes interiors debut with the Nalu collection

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Celebrity Nicole Scherzinger has launched her debut luxury interiors and bedding collection, Nalu.

Designed personally by Nicole over 24 months, the Spring/Summer ’22 Nalu range is inspired by Nicole’s love of art and culture, and connection to her own heritage.

With fourteen options in total, the line consists of bedding [duvet sets and pillowcases], throws and cushions. Starting from £40, Nalu by Nicole Scherzinger is available from Next, Very and Bedeck Online.

During the design process, Nicole used cultural and personal inspiration including beautiful Hawaiian influences and nods to her Asian heritage. The collection includes florals and abstract patterns alongside simplistic woven bedding for those seeking soothing textures for a serene bedroom setting.

Hero pieces include the Dalisay Duvet Cover Set [from £70], with sophisticated silver and fresh white tones, brought to life by a beautifully detailed all-over paisley print. The Palawan Duvet Set [from £70] captures Nicole’s passion for art, featuring watercolour interpretations of Palawan cherry blossoms set against a crisp white canvas.

Nicole has included accompanying accessories such as soft, feather-filled cushions [from £45], warm chunky throws [from £95], lined curtains [from £110], towels [from £14] and robes [from £85] to create a relaxing haven.

Nalu by Nicole Scherzinger has been produced by bedlinen and traditional textile craft specialist Bedeck. A family brand with global appeal, Bedeck specialises in detail and design, which conveys the perfect synergy with this latest partnership.

Nicole Scherzinger says: “I am so excited about the launch of my debut lifestyle collection with Bedeck. My bedroom is my sanctuary – the inner calm I feel when relaxing there is serene and keeps me balanced. This very feeling I wanted to convey when designing my collection. Every colour, texture and stitch has been chosen to calm and rejuvenate your space. The use of delicate patterns in subtle colourways balance and ground. I see Nalu as the ultimate personal luxury for moments of tranquillity and I hope you adore it as much as I do.”

“Nalu brings a beautiful addition to our brand portfolio with products including bedlinen and accessories, curtains, towels and robes – each piece exquisitely designed to capture Nicole’s signature style,” added Bedeck Managing Directors Gary and Andrew Irwin in a joint statement. “Patterns including native florals, traditional kapa block prints, paisley and understated leopard prints all feature. The development of Nalu Nicole Scherzinger has been a collaborative labour of love between Nicole and our design team, resulting in a calming collection for moments of contemplation.”

 

Popeye teams up with mey for sustainable menswear capsule collection

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mey, a leading European brand of high-quality bodywear for women and men, has announced its newest capsule collection, featuring King Features’ iconic character, Popeye. The menswear collection, which recently launched online, in mey stores and at selected retail partners, includes a range of daywear and nightwear that incorporates Popeye’s trademark nautical style.

Inspired by the spinach-eating sailorman, the collection includes 12 different styles of t-shirts, nightwear, swimsuits and underwear featuring Popeye-themed designs and colours. The collection is made of sustainable organic cotton with a comfortable elastane component while the styles, except the swimsuit, are also Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified and have the Grüner Knopf state-regulated textile label.

“A fashion icon, Popeye is also known around the world for his nautical style, ocean conservation advocacy and alignment with eco-friendly partners,” says Carla Silva, VP/GM, global head of licensing, King Features. “We are thrilled to collaborate with mey on this new collection that captures his whimsical personality and provides fans with high-quality apparel that is sustainably sourced.”

The mey x Popeye capsule collection is currently available in approximately 450 stores across Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Benelux and online at www.mey.com. The collection ranges from €29.95- 79.95.

 

Grow with Peter Rabbit initiative continues during National Children’s Gardening Week

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To mark 120 years since the publication of Beatrix Potter’s much-loved children’s classic, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Penguin Random House Children’s has launched Grow With Peter Rabbit in partnership with non-profit garden designers Grow2Know.  This initiative will green-up community spaces across the UK and continue Beatrix Potter’s legacy of conservation.

During National Children’s Gardening week (28 May – 5 June), the initiative will focus on encouraging children to Grow With Peter Rabbit through a series of digital tutorials, school resources and free workshops.

Dobbies are the official garden centre partner for The World of Peter Rabbit this year and will be hosting free Grow With Peter Rabbit workshops in 65 stores across the UK on Sunday 5 June. The workshops will provide a playful introduction to gardening, including making Peter Rabbit ears, exploring a vegetable patch and a demonstration of how to re-grow vegetables with an activity devised by Grow2Know.

The Grow2Know show garden was unveiled to critical acclaim at RHS Chelsea Flower Show this week, while Dobbies scooped three awards for sustainability, innovation and their stand design.

Tayshan Hayden-Smith (pictured above), founder of Grow2Know, has devised four How-To videos to teach children and families simple gardening activities to try at home. These four videos are inspired by The World of Peter Rabbit and will be available online via the Peter Rabbit website from today, 27 May.

During National Children’s Gardening Week, influencers JB Gill – TV presenter and farmer – and Jake and Hannah Graf MBE – one of the UK’s most influential LBGTQ couples – will take part in the #GrowWithPeterRabbit challenge on their social media channels to demonstrate how easy and fun it is to grow your own vegetables at home using simple, upcycled objects and a packet of seeds.

Penguin Ventures licensees have been lending their support to the campaign, including Jardinopia, Enesco and Rainbow Designs, who have offered products and prizes to the campaign. Penguin Random House Children’s have also provided copies of the new picture book format of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Dobbies will be stocking a range of Peter Rabbit books and merchandise this year as part of the official partnership with The World of Peter Rabbit.

Izzy Richardson, Director Owned Brands at Penguin Random House, says: “Our intention with Grow with Peter Rabbit is to bring the joy and benefits of nature to young children and families in communities across the country. Our partnerships with Grow2Know, Dobbies and our licensees help us to reach and engage with a wider family demographic, whilst at the same time, help us to leverage our IP to continue to affect positive change and drive social impact.”

Sarah Murray, Partnership and Events Manager at Dobbies Garden Centres, adds: “Dobbies is thrilled to be supporting the Grow With Peter Rabbit campaign. Our Little Seedlings Club brings the benefits of gardening to young people within our local communities and we’ve had a great response to the Peter Rabbit partnership. We can’t wait to bring the World of Peter Rabbit and the joy of gardening to families during National Children’s Gardening Week.”

Grow With Peter Rabbit launches today, Friday 27 May, with new How-To videos uploaded to the Peter Rabbit website throughout National Children’s Gardening Week; visit https://www.peterrabbit.com/grow-with-peter-rabbit/.

Dobbies’ Grow with Peter Workshops take place on Sunday 5 June and can be booked for free across stores nationwide here.

Revolution Beauty launches global Love Island cosmetics collection

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ITV Studios’ smash hit dating format Love Island and Revolution Beauty, the British-based cosmetics and skincare brand, have launched an exclusive makeup collection. The collection will be on sale as of today (May 27th 2022) globally at RevolutionBeauty.com, and will also be available at retailers, with an exclusive deal at Walgreens stores in the USA and Boots in the UK.  

The Makeup Revolution x Love Island collection consists of a range of makeup products, all inspired by the various summers of love in the Love Island Villa, which will enable Love Island fans all over the world to recreate the looks of the Islanders.

Adam Minto, CEO and Founder of Revolution Beauty, says: “With Love Island quickly becoming a global sensation, we are thrilled to bring summers in the Villa to life through this limited-edition makeup collection.”

Lucie Stoffers, Head of Brand Licensing ITV Studios, Global Entertainment, adds: “We are super excited to partner up with Revolution Beauty and are thrilled that Love Island fans all over the world will be able to recreate the looks of the Islanders. Revolution Beauty and Love Island are both beloved brands that fit perfectly together!”

Love Island has become a reality television phenomenon with the show dominating social media and drawing in audiences from across the globe. Full of drama, romance, flirting and fun, the series sees its occupants living in a stunning villa in a beautiful location. They are on the lookout for romance but as always, the road to love never runs smoothly, as they must not only choose their partner wisely but also win the hearts of the public. It’s up to the viewers to decide who they want to stay in the show as they watch the relationships develop and ultimately which pair they want to crown the hottest couple on the island.

Love Island is owned by ITV Studios and Motion Content Group Ltd and is distributed internationally by ITV Studios. The hit show has been commissioned in 21 territories ranging from the UK, USA to Italy and Germany and many more.

ZAG partners with Emoji for global licensing programme

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Award-winning global independent animation studio ZAG has signed an exclusive agreement with Emoji Company to develop and launch a one-of-a-kind collaboration that will combine the strength of two power brands, Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir and emoji.  The announcement was made by Julian Zag, EVP Global Operations and Head of Consumer Products, ZAG, and Marco Hüsges, CEO and Founder, The Emoji Company.

This new agreement will see the magical superhero world of Miraculous and the energetic and optimistic characteristics of emoji combined to create an emoji x Miraculous brand collaboration that will offer new partners a dedicated, state-of-the-art brand style guide featuring unique emoji x Miraculous brand icons for licensing across categories such as apparel, accessories, footwear, electronics, figurines and collectibles, drinkware, fan merchandise, home goods, stationery, and more.

Since bursting onto the global stage in 2015, Miraculous has become one of the world’s favourite superhero shows, topping TV series ratings charts with leading global broadcasters, dominating across social media with over 30 billion views on YouTube, and hitting over US$1 billion in retail sales at the end of 2021.

“The emoji brand is globally known for its expressive consumer goods, events and entertainment services, and is one of the most versatile and used forms of communication and icons in the world,” says Julian Zag. “We are at the most exciting point in our Miraculous adventure to date, with a $100+ million animated feature premiering later this year, and season five rolling out this autumn following astounding season four ratings, and we look forward to creating a unique and exclusive brand collaboration for emoji and Miraculous fans the world over,”

“Miraculous, featuring the beloved Ladybug and Cat Noir, has become a worldwide phenomenon with its unique stories and strong values of friendship, empowerment, and courage,” says Marco Hüsges. “With emoji ’s global brand recognition across all age groups, we will work together with ZAG to bring this new collaboration to key licensed categories with an initial focus on apparel and giftables.” 

Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir is ranked by IMDB amongst the Top 10 Best Animated Shows in the last 20 years. Available in over 120 countries, season five of the series will debut this autumn, alongside the highly anticipated $US100M+ animated feature to be supported by several yet unannounced co-branded partnerships with some of the most influential companies across the globe across numerous consumer products categories.

With a massive fan base of young adult “Miraculers”, (ages 15-25), Miraculous has become a digital planetary craze with over 30 billion views on YouTube (authorised and user-generated content); over 180 million downloads of the official app; and over 300 million+ plays on Roblox. Over 280 million products have been sold to date, and retail sales have surpassed US$1B worldwide to date.

Miraculous is the winner of 27 awards, and was a finalist for Best Licensed Brand among perennial classics in the Licensing International Excellence Awards, 2022.

UFG and Paul Frank announce footwear licensing agreement

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Unlimited Footwear Group (UFG) has announced a new strategic licensing partnership with Paul Frank to design, produce, market and distribute Paul Frank-branded footwear in 50 countries, including the entire European Union, Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Scandinavia.

Paul Frank began in 1995 in a small Huntington Beach garage when Paul Frank himself began sewing custom wallets as gifts for his friends, featuring characters with names like Julius and Skurvy. These adorable characters rapidly became pop culture icons, known and loved worldwide by many generations.

The UFG footwear collections will embody Paul Frank’s youthful, fresh, fun and accessible approach with a spark of humour. The first Paul Frank footwear collection for men, women and kids is scheduled to launch in spring/summer 2023.

“UFG is excited to add yet another great brand to its licensing portfolio,” says Bart van Helvoirt, CEO Unlimited Footwear Group. “We look forward to working closely with the Paul Frank team on many fun footwear collections to come. The 30-plus years of experience in the footwear industry and international focus that UFG brings to the table make a perfect fit for the Paul Frank brand. We look forward to our contribution of further international growth and brand awareness of the Paul Frank brand ”

Michael Puglisi, Futurity Brands Licensing Manager, adds: “Futurity Brands and the Paul Frank team are equally excited to partner with UFG. As part of our rebuild and positioning strategy, it is important for us align with strong partners like UFG. We look forward to growing the category of footwear for the Paul Frank brand alongside the experienced UFG team.”

 The Heritage Footwear Company, part of Unlimited Footwear Group, will manage the footwear collections for Paul Frank. The Heritage Footwear Company plans to launch two collections a year at a mid-price level and will distribute through its international sales network of both multi-brand fashion and sports retail and through wholesale and various online platforms.

UFG’s dedicated Paul Frank team will operate from Utrecht, the Netherlands, through UFG’s The Heritage Footwear Company division.

 

BlackMilk to release Avatar: The Last Airbender collection

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Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra will be able to showcase their love for the two hit animated series with BlackMilk Clothing’s latest collection.

BlackMilk Clothing is well known for its unique licensed collaborations, and is excited to work with Nickelodeon for the first time on bringing these beloved stories to life on a huge variety of styles, including dresses, leggings, overalls, jackets, accessories and unisex pieces.

Stand-out styles in the 43-piece collection include overalls featuring beloved sky bison Appa with a unique bison horn detail on the straps, plus glow-in-the-dark tees and uniquely shaped hoodies featuring each of the Avatar world’s elemental tribes. Alongside BlackMilk’s signature bold printed styles, the collection includes designer pieces made with specially created flocked, burned velvet and foil fabrics featuring element motifs – perfect for those who want a more subtle nod to the series.

Avatar x BlackMilk will be available for purchase at 7am (AEST) 31 May. The collection lookbook can now be viewed on the BlackMilk website.

 

Audi partners with Beanstalk to drive into new categories

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Audi, the German automotive manufacturer of premium vehicles, has appointed global brand licensing extension agency Beanstalk to extend the Audi brand into new lifestyle, technology and mobility products.

Audi is a leader in the premium automotive industry. Through its precision-engineered vehicles, high build quality and progressive design, all guided by technology, “Vorsprung durch Technik”, the brand has developed a global base of passionate customers.

Beanstalk will work with Audi to extend the brand across a range of lifestyle, technology and mobility categories globally, incorporating the brand’s technical and design excellence, and supporting Audi’s sustainability goals. Audi brand extensions will inspire both new and existing customers to deepen their brand love for the iconic car brand through the creation of meaningful and sophisticated products.

Allison Ames, President and CEO of Beanstalk, says: “We are truly honoured to be partnering with Audi. It is a progressive and premium brand with an iconic portfolio of trademarks that are recognised around the world. Audi’s reputation for technical excellence and carefully conceived human-centric design makes it an ideal brand to create innovative and inspiring new brand extensions. The global Beanstalk team is excited to work alongside Audi to provide inventive products that are unmistakably Audi.”

“We are really looking forward to welcoming Beanstalk as our new licensing agency for Audi,” says Marcus Hinderer, Director Audi Collection and Licensing. “Together with Beanstalk we will extend the Audi licensing programme based on our unique Audi brand values. Our aim is to transfer the Audi brand identity into sophisticated licensed products and to offer Audi customers and fans an exceptional brand experience beyond our cars.”

King Features builds momentum for Popeye and Olive Oyl with expansion into new territories

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King Features Syndicate, a unit of Hearst and home to some of the world’s most popular entertainment characters, today announced expansion into new territories, Benelux, India and the Middle East, for its iconic comic characters Popeye and Olive Oyl.

Building upon its existing global licensing programme, brand owner King Features has signed new agents to support growth in the territories, including J&M Brands (Benelux), WildBrain CPLG (Middle East), and Black White & Orange (India).

Affinity for Popeye and Olive Oyl continues to skyrocket across Europe, and now J&M Brands will continue to grow the beloved characters’ presence in Benelux, which is comprised of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. J&M Brands will focus on introducing new apparel, collabs, food, health and beauty, and sustainable partnerships that align with the brand and resonate with European audiences. This year, they will introduce two new eco-conscious Popeye partnerships. School of Life Projects (Netherlands) incorporates materials like wool, a renewable fibre source, into their collections to preserve traditional artisan crafts, and apparel brand, A-Dam (Netherlands), develops their garments using recycled and organic materials.

In the Middle East, WildBrain CPLG is expanding Popeye and Olive Oyl’s reach in new territories including Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates with fashion retailer Riva Fashion and product distributor Trucare FZC.

Continuing growth for the characters in India, Black White Orange Brands recently brokered a deal with Universal Sportsbiz Pvt. Ltd. for a successful Popeye collaboration with popular Indian youth fashion and apparel brand, WROGN. WROGN was co-created by Indian cricket star, Virat Kohli, who served as the face of the Popeye campaign. The Popeye x WROGN collection includes a range of 28 t-shirts featuring classic poses of the spinach-eating sailor paired with the graphic WROGN logo.

“We’re tremendously proud of the growth and success that the Popeye brand has experienced globally and look forward to the brand’s continued expansion with our newest international agents and partners. There’s something extraordinary about the iconic Popeye and his universe that truly transcends across all cultures,” says Carla Silva, VP/GM, global head of licensing, King Features.

King Features’ expansion into new territories comes on the heels of several successful Popeye initiatives, including apparel collections from ICEBERG, Moncler, Intimissimi Uomo and Mey, NFTs from UNDONE and MADWorld, along with sustainability-focused partnerships with the Popeye Sail Club powered Pick a Pier in partnership with Blue Flag, and an Angry Birds Friends x Popeye tournament in support of ocean clean-up organisation, The SeaCleaners.