Tag Archives: apparel

Queer Eye brings new charge of inclusivity to retail with QueerEyeStore.com launch

Posted on by

The moment is here; Queer Eye is heading to retail.

Scout Productions – the Emmy and Academy award-winning team behind the hit series – has detailed a multi-layered licensing programme of new products and the launch of QueerEyeStore.com, a platform to bring fans all things fashion, inclusivity, and Queer Eye.

The programme has been created in partnership with the show’s licensing agency, IMG, and features products based on the Enny award-winning television series, including a new apparel line featuring the Queer Eye personalities. The range is available now on Amazon and via QueerEyeStore.com.

Further highlights include the recently launched exclusive home furnishings line at Walmart and a successful line of Queer Eye themed books, including the YA book for pre-teens.

Inspired by the show’s positivity and kindness, the new environmentally friendly apparel line of fashion-forward t-shirts, hoodies/sweatshirts, masks and accessories features artwork from a group of talented designers, who are active members of the LGBTQIA community.

A portion of the proceeds from every sale will benefit the Ali Forney Center, the nation’s largest agency dedicated to LGBTQ homeless youth. Each item incorporates the designers’ favorite parts of the show and new items will continue to rollout including a soon-to-be-unveiled winter line.

“Scout is a company that was built to have a positive impact on the LGBTQ community. We are extremely proud of our Queer Eye licensing program and have been overjoyed at the overwhelmingly positive response to all of our products, especially the home furnishings line at Walmart.com where the product continues to be in high demand as soon as it is released,” said Joel Chiodi, SVP of strategic development.

“With the launch of QueerEyeStore.com, we are able to bring thoughtfully designed, environmentally-friendly products directly to the fans, while also raising money for an amazing organization whose positive impact on the lives of LGBTQ youth cannot be understated.”

Poetic Brands signs FIFA for spring/summer apparel collection

Posted on by

The apparel licensee, Poetic Brands, has added the international governing body of football, FIFA, to its portfolio of brands with the launch of a new range of FIFA themed clothing. The range will capitalise on the body’s historical marques and logos, the kind of which have been recognised worldwide for more than 100 years.

The Poetic Brands collection will feature t-shirts, sweatshirts, and nightwear and will launch into the UK with retailers stocking ranges from spring/summer 2021.

Founded in 1904, FIFA is the umbrella organisation of its members, currently 211 national football associations. Its objectives include developing football around the world, staging international competitions, and ensuring that the game of football is available to all who wish to participate. 

The member associations of FIFA take part in the FIFA World Cup every four years, with the next edition taking place in 2022, providing a key selling point after the launch of the clothing line.

“Together with Poetic Brands, we’ll be bringing new energy to FIFA’s beloved historical emblems,” said FIFA head of licensing and retail, Sarah Bohner. “We look forward to helping fans relive and celebrate their favourite tournaments through unique, creative designs.”

Elliott Matthews, executive director of Poetic Brands, added: “We are really excited to be adding FIFA to our portfolio of properties. The brand is instantly recognisable not only to football fans, but to the vast majority of consumers. We are sure the collection will reach fans of the game throughout the UK and prove popular with supporters of all clubs.”

LEGO builds multi-year partnership with Adidas to ‘inspire creativity and foster play’

Posted on by

The LEGO Group has struck up a multi-year partnership with Adidas to co-create a range of new products aimed at inspiring creativity to foster a more playful, positive and inclusive world for adults and children from all backgrounds and sporting abilities.

The partnership will span products such as footwear, apparel, and hardware, having kicked off last month with the unveiling of the limited edition Adidas Originals ZX 8000 LEGO sneaker.

“It’s our mission to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow and help children be creative and learn the skills they need to thrive,” said Julia Goldin, chief marketing officer at the LEGO Group.

“Great play experiences are a fun way to learn and build creative confidence, and so is sport – and that’s is why we’re so excited about this partnership. Together, play and sport let children experience collaboration and the principles of fair-play, as well as build mental resilience. These are crucial life-skills that can help children unlock their full potential.”

Aimee Arana, SVP general manager, global training at Adidas, added “Our goal is to use the power of sport to change lives, grounded in creativity as the vehicle to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds. An innovative partner like the LEGO Group allows us to together imagine up new concepts and products that will spark creativity in an inclusive way, particularly helping the development of younger generations.”

Initial partnership discussions started in 2017, and in 2018 the LEGO Group welcomed the adidas team to LEGO House in Denmark to let creativity run wild and determine how best to foster a true fusion of the two brands.

That meeting kicked-off what promises to be a dynamic and fast-paced collaboration, with the first products scheduled to drop before the end of 2020. Products for various sports and an active lifestyle will launch in December and throughout 2021, aimed at both kids and adults and crossing different LEGO themes.

Zion Rootswear and Selfridges celebrate Black History Month with exclusive Bob Marley clothing collection

Posted on by

Zion Rootswear has partnered with Selfridges to launch an exclusive clothing collection inspired by the spirit and ethos of the reggae icon Bob Marley in celebration of UK Black History Month. The collaboration was brought together by Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company.

The range takes inspiration from Marley’s outspoken commitment to social justice and unity; a voice that the partnership underlines is still relevant today.

The collection is comprised of five t-shirts, two long sleeve t-shirts, three hoodies, a denim jacket, a pair of jeans, a cap and a beanie each featuring images of Marley, including a poignant picture of the artist-activist being stopped by the police, and his words: ‘Stand Up For Your Rights’, a slogan drawn from his iconic track ‘Get Up, Stand Up’.

Cedella Marley, daughter of Bob Marley, said: “Daddy’s message of love, courage and unity is so relevant right now. A moment in time that to this day seems unthinkable yet is so real. This collection is something special and to have it launch during Black History Month, makes it that bit more important to us, a perfect time to reiterate the essence of my father’s legacy.”

Grounded in his view that “if humankind failed to stand together, it would fail to stand at all”, Marley embedded his views into his music, a unique sound that shook the world, crossing cultural, racial and socio-economic borders, from the small island of Jamaica.

Daved Bridges, creative development and special projects manager, added: “Bob’s legacy extends far beyond his timeless music. We’re honoured to continue to play a part in delivering his message to the world through inspired, meaningful and stand-out ways.”

BlackMilk partners with Nintendo to launch Super Mario and Animal Crossing: New Horizons collections

Posted on by

The globally loved Nintendo franchises, Super Mario and Animal Crossing: New Horizons are finding a new footing in the fashion world, thanks to a partnership between the video game maker and apparel specialist, Black Milk Clothing.

Renowned for its unique take on licensed collaborations, BlackMilk Clothing is offering gaming fans a new way to express their love for both Super Mario and Animal Crossing through the brand’s signature styles, including leggings, dresses, overalls, and more.

BlackMilk x Super Mario will be the first of the two collections to be released, going live at 7am on October, 6th 2020. The collection features some of the franchise’s favourite characters, including Princess Peach, Yoshi, Bowser and, of course, Mario. It will also feature the game’s iconic power-ups and numerous items. Active wear and unisex pieces are on offer alongside a variety of fun outerwear styles. 

Meanwhile, customers will then be treated to an entirely new collection when BlackMilk x Animal Crossing: New Horizons is released a week later, landing at 7am on October 13th, 2020.

Fans of the Nintendo Switch game will be able to shop a range of pieces featuring their favourite islanders and collectibles. Alongside BlackMilk’s signature bold printed styles, the collection includes designer pieces made with specially created fabrics, such as a unique flocked Timmy and Tommy design. 

BlackMilk is expecting both collection ‘to be hugely popular, with some limited edition pieces likely to sell out fast.’

The Pokémon Company International teams with children’s retailer Z for first apparel collection

Posted on by

The Pokémon Company International is teaming up with the high street children’s retailer Z to launch a special apparel collection in Z stores and online from today.

The Z Pokémon collection marks the first collaboration between the two companies and comprises 10 pieces across daywear, nightwear, and accessories for both boys and girls, including the latest on-trend lenticular designs. It will be available in all of the over 360 Z stores across France, Italy, and in other Z territories including Belgium.

Part of the Kidiliz Group, Z specialises in fashionable and fun clothing for children aged 14 and younger.

Already a strong merchandising plan is in place for the launch, including window takeovers and in-store Point of Sale from August 12 to 31, 2020. Z will also feature the Pokémon collection on its webstore, with a dedicated banner on the homepage, and will be communicating the launch across its social channels and offering its customers the chance to win some exciting Pokémon prizes.

Mathieu Galante, licensing director EMEA for The Pokémon Company International, said: “We are delighted to be working with Kidiliz and their extremely popular and well-established Z stores to bring this colourful new collection to the high street. It’s a further testament to the continuing and expanding fashion appeal of Pokémon.”

Pokémon’s collaboration with Z is the latest in a recent string of high street retailer partnerships for children’s apparel across France and Italy, following successful ranges at La Compagnie des Petits and IKKS, plus global giants Zara Kids and H&M.

Further Pokémon activity includes the recent announcement of a selection of additional games including New Pokémon Snap for Nintendo Switch, a photo-snapping adventure through unknown islands that is a contemporary update of the 1999 game; Pokémon Café Mix, available on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, is a fun puzzle game set in a café visited by Pokémon.

For younger children, the Pokémon Smile app is a unique, new mobile experience that makes brushing your teeth a fun activity and encourages kids to develop good brushing habits.  Finally, the forthcoming Pokémon UNITE will be the first strategic Pokémon team battle game.

Macmillan Children’s Books celebrates Dear Zoo in new F&F at Tesco range

Posted on by

Macmillan Children’s Books has struck up a new deal with Tesco’s clothing brand F&F to launch a range of baby clothing based on the classic pre-school storybook Dear Zoo created by Rod Campbell.

Developed by Paul Dennicci for F&F at Tesco, the range launched last week across 165 stores nationwide, tying in with a special Tesco Baby Event. The initial collection features six garments, including vests, bibs, and a sleeping bag, all designed for babies aged 0 to 24 months.

The launch reflects the renewed interest in Dear Zoo and builds on the success of the core licensing partners, including Hacche Retail (puzzles and games for Marks & Spencer), Milly & Flynn (games and wooden toys), Neviti (party paperware) and Paul Lamond Games (puzzles and dominoes).

The launch will be supported by a campaign with ComeRound (www.comeround.com), the word-of-mouth marketing agency that is dedicated to harnessing the power of real people recommending products they genuinely love from inside the home. Over 100 families will receive a pack of Dear Zoo books and merchandise and will celebrate at the end of July with at-home Dear Zoo Read and Play Days. Alongside, there is also strong online influencer activity, focusing on the new apparel.

Stephanie Barton, publisher at Macmillan Children’s Books, said: “We brought the licensing of Dear Zoo in-house to take full advantage of the popularity of this evergreen and well-loved book. We are targeting a small number of core product categories to build on the success of our current, long-standing licensing partners. We’ve had such a wonderful response to Dear Zoo, in part due to the wonderful new assets that Rod Campbell himself and the team at Macmillan have created.

“We are delighted with Tesco’s commitment and enthusiasm and I know that Dear Zoo readers and their parents will be very excited by these lovely new products.”

The Dear Zoo classic storybook continues to be at the heart of families throughout the UK. Following on from its place as the number one Picture book in 2018, sales last year were up 19 per cent. The classic board book version appeared in the Nielsen Preschool Top 20 every single week of 2019.

The Dear Zoo Live on Stage play launched in 2018 and already nearly 85,000 children and families throughout the UK have enjoyed the performances. It also successfully toured in the UAE, Hong Kong and Singapore in 2019. With World Book Day 2021 already in mind, Macmillan Children’s Books is intending to add to the list of Dear Zoo licensees across the core dressing up, soft toy, nursery, gifting and stationery sectors shortly.

 

Sagoo signs fashion brand Difuzed for Rilakkuma apparel, fashion bags and more

Posted on by

The fashion and lifestyle brand Difuzed has partnered with the independent licensing agency Sagoo to launch a range of apparel for kids and adults, as well as fashion bags, backpacks, and accessories, inspired by the Japanese character brand, Rilakkuma.

The new line will include tech accessories including phone cases and tablet and laptop covers and sleeves featuring the popular bear character and his friends. The complete range will retail throughout Europe.

Launched in Asia in 2003, Rilakkuma embodies relaxation and a stress-free lifestyle. The chilled-out bear cub quickly became popular in Japan, Asia and the US as it began life as an illustration on products such as stationery. The licensed merchandise quickly grew, and to date, 5.8 million of the Rilakkuma story books have been sold, while the new apps launched monthly have over half a million members. In total, over 20,000 Rilakkuma products have launched in Japan.

Now a Netflix star and hugely popular on social media, Rilakkuma is beginning to see the same trajectory of success throughout Europe and leading licensing agency, Sagoo, is partnering with best in class licensees to build a robust consumer products offering in the territory.

Jeremy Orriss, licensing director of Difuzed, said: “We are very happy to be part of the lovely Rilakkuma family and we are confident that the cooperation between Difuzed and the Sagoo team will be stress-free just like Rilakkuma and it will create great results. We cannot wait to develop Rilakkuma apparel and accessories collections and have them in retailers all around Europe.”

Veronique Pichon, president, Sagoo, added: “We’re excited to welcome Difuzed on board for the rapidly growing Rilakkuma brand. The property is showing signs of the same popularity in Europe as it has enjoyed in Asia and the US, and these new lifestyle products will be perfect for the Rilakkuma fans.”