Tag Archives: fashion

Disney and Keith Haring partner to celebrate Mickey Mouse with new product roll-out

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Disney has embarked on a collaborative project with the globally revered artist Keith Haring to launch a new range of apparel and accessories featuring the artist’s own take on Disney’s iconic Mickey Mouse. The range will be hitting the global retail scene throughout 2021.

In 1980, Haring created original works of art featuring Mickey Mouse in a new style unique to New York City street culture, taking inspiration from both Pop Art and urban graffiti. His love for Mickey Mouse was rooted in his childhood experiences.

Deeply influenced by Walt Disney and the incredible skill and mastery of American cartoonists of the 50’s and 60’s, Haring even aspired to be a cartoonist himself.

“I always wanted to work for Walt Disney when I was growing up, when I was a kid and in some ways I think he is one of the three most important artists of the 20th century along with Warhol and Picasso,” said Haring.

This collaboration is a continuation of Disney’s celebration of Keith Haring’s inspired artistic interpretations of Mickey Mouse which was commemorated in 2018 as part of the Mickey: The True Original Exhibition celebrating the 90th anniversary of Mickey Mouse.

Haring’s artwork featuring Mickey Mouse will be featured on an assortment of products across multiple brands, with Coach unveiling a new collection highlighting two artworks that will be exclusively launched with their collection.

“Keith Haring’s respect and admiration for Walt Disney, especially the beloved Mickey Mouse, served as an inspiration for some of his iconic pieces,” added the Haring Studio. “By collaborating with Disney, we are able to bring his artwork to life through a new medium and continue to celebrate his enduring influence on the art community and future generations to come.”

Spread Group expands its partnership with Warner Bros for new licenses and markets

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Spread Group – the firm formerly known as Spreadshirt – has expanded its partnership with Warner Bros to bring 14 of its brands including Harry Potter, Batman, and Friends, to new target markets in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.

The latest development is an extension of a European partnership that has existed between Spread Group and Warner Bros since 2012. Over the past eight years, Spread Group has developed more than 1,700 designs with popular Warner Bros. heroes and symbols across Germany, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland.

The Warner Bros. brands are among some of the best-sellers on these European Spreadshirt marketplaces.

“We are excited about the opportunity to use our know-how to launch into new markets and to strategically develop our partnership with Warner Bros. In doing so, we will cover design, marketing and production, to the web presence on our Spreadshirt marketplace, as well as on Amazon and eBay – according to our 360-degree approach,” said Ann-Katrin Hager, head of licensing Europe of Spread Group.

The licensing deal will make Warner Bros. will one of Spread Group’s largest partners. It will offer over 1,000 Warner designs on the Spreadshirt marketplaces in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia as well as 1,500 item positions on Amazon.com.

Poetic Brands to launch Brambly Hedge baby clothing and accessories range

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The apparel licensee Poetic Brands has signed on to create a range of baby clothing and accessories based on the heritage children’s publishing property, Brambly Hedge.

The new collection will include layette and fashion daywear along with nightwear, snow suits, sleeping bags, accessories, and changing mats each inspired by the adventure of the community of Brambly Hedge’s resident mice.

Brambly Hedge joins a number of prestigious new children’s partners for Poetic Brands, as the licensee establishes its new Baby, Children’s Wear and Accessories division.

Brambly Hedge began life in 1980 as a series of intricately illustrated books following a family of mice in the English countryside. Written by Jill Barklem, the brand is now celebrating 40 years since its first book was published.

Rockpool Licensing, which manages the property worldwide, recently announced a deal with Lupus Films, which will see the production company adapt the classic stories for screen, initially as a Christmas special, with further episodes to follow, bringing new exposure to the brand and introducing it to a fresh generation of fans.

Licensing activity for Brambly Hedge begins to pick up following a period of heightened consumer awareness and interest in nature and our natural surrounding, a trend facilitated by the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent social restrictions that have been taken.

The detail of the illustrations, along with the strong representation of the seasons throughout the stories, lend themselves particularly well to licensed products. The brand already has an army of fans, with 22,000 Instagram followers and 57,000 Facebook fans, and is already a firm favourite with all adults; parents, grandparents and gift-givers alike.

Anne Bradford, director, Poetic Brands, said: “Brambly Hedge is a stunning heritage baby brand with timeless illustrations. With the success of many other evergreen collections before it we are looking forward to creating some exquisite ranges. The nature of the illustrations allows us to literally work through the seasons giving a unique product offering.”

Vickie O’Malley, managing director, Rockpool Licensing, added: “We’re thrilled to have the talented team at Poetic Brands on board to develop babywear ranges for Brambly Hedge. The exquisite artwork that so beautifully portrays the changing seasons, nature, family and celebration is so perfect for babywear.

“At a time when consumers are craving these things in their lives, I wonder if the world has ever needed Brambly Hedge more?!”

Bulldog Licensing signs Bioworld for Care Bears apparel and accessories

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Bioworld is on board to create and launch a range of apparel and accessories inspired by the popular Cloudco Entertainment brand, Care Bears, targeting kids of all ages as the Care Bears licensing programme continues to grow.

Fast approaching its 40th anniversary, Care Bears continues to appeal to a wide range of fans, encouraged in their purveyance of the brand by an ever-increasing licensing portfolio, managed in the UK by Bulldog Licensing. The latest partnership with Bioworld will act to leverage the universal love for the property.

Fashion partners for the Care Bears brand already include the likes of Tikiboo and its athleisure range, Irregular Choice and its footwear line, and Dolls Kill with its clothing collection. The brand even returned to the kids’ aisles earlier this year when Basic Fun launched its toy line.

Having been met with strong sales and keen reception in the US market, Basic Fun recently launched its toy range to the UK where it is currently experiencing very strong sell-through already. The range is being supported with a heavyweight marketing campaign featuring two TVCs for both its plush and interactive Care Bears.

Meanwhile, the Care Bears’ broadcast partner Tiny Pop is supporting the series Care Bears: Unlock the Magic with daily slots on the channel. New partnerships with Sky and Moonbug now further position Care Bears for significant growth in the kids market here in the UK.

Bioworld joins other children’s partners, including Zak for homewares, Whitehouse Leisure, Redan, Aardvark, Crackerjack, and the Fun to Learn magazine.

Rob Corney, MD of Bulldog Licensing, said: “We’re thrilled to have Bioworld on board for Care Bears apparel. The brand has built a strong following over the past 38 years and has devoted fans who grew up with Care Bears, as well as an ever-growing following of little ones who are discovering the brand for the first time.” 

Roubina Tchoboian, VP of international licensing, added: “Bioworld joins at an exciting time for Care Bears, as the brand is continuously building with a range of best-in-class partners creating show-stopping ranges and collaborations.”

Poetic Brands teams with Sunny Side Up to launch Let’s Get Lyrical range based on famous song lyrics

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Poetic Brands has partnered with the licensing agency, Sunny Side Up to launch the Let’s Get Lyrical range of day and night wear, a collection that will be based upon the lyrics of well-known songs.

The Let’s Get Lyrical range will include all baby layette fashion daywear and nightwear; children’s daywear, outerwear, nightwear and essentials, swimwear, towelling ponchos and beach towels; adult daywear, outerwear, nightwear and essentials, swimwear and beach towels; along with hard and soft shell suitcases, luggage and bags. 

Sunny Side Up Licensing represents licensing opportunities utilising some of the largest libraries of song lyrics both in the UK, and globally. The agency holds representation rights to the copyright of millions of songs with the world’s leading music publishers. In the new deal with Poetic Brands, lyrics will be applied to apparel and accessories for every age group. 

“Music is in our lives every day. Something will happen and more often than not, a memory will trigger a song or vice versa,” said Anne Bradford, director at Poetic Brands. “Having worked with Michael on a number of projects over the years, we quickly started to talk when I arrived at Poetic Brands and have been developing product to share at retail throughout lockdown. 

“What we love about this is being able to take it from conception (maternity wear) right the way through baby, kids and adults’ apparel. The opportunities here are endless.”

Michael Gottlieb, director, Sunny Side Up Licensing, added: “Lyrics are the poetry of our time and music has become the soundtrack to people’s lives. Sunny Side Up Licensing is delighted to be working with Poetic Brands to bring lyrics to life on apparel through what we expect to be a long partnership.”

The Rolling Stones launch virtual RS No.9 Carnaby store for social-distancing shoppers

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The Rolling Stones have followed up on the launch of the band – and brand’s – world first flagship store in London’s Soho, with the introduction of a new, global e-commerce shop featuring virtual experiences that allow customers to shop ‘inside the store’ from anywhere in the world.

The launch has been designed for those that can’t currently get to the Carnaby Street store in person. Once a shopper enters the virtual RS No. 9 Carnaby store, they can select from the products on offer as the experience takes them on a ‘seamless user journey’ over the store’s two floors.

They will then be able to shop the new fashion forward autumn/winter collection for men and women, which is infleunced by workwear and also showcases the athleisure trend. Childrenswear, accessories and Christmas baubles complete the offer.

The immersive 360° website shines a light on the artistic history of the physical store location on Carnaby Street and shares insider anecdotes about the architecture and design features. Created in partnership with the Rolling Stones and Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company, the new online store specializes in fashion and accessories.

The store is also tapping into the Black Friday sale this year, offering UK customers a rare opportunity to get 20 per cent off purchases over £50. 

John Habbouch, GM and CFO, Bravado, said: “We are excited to be able to take the brand new RS No. 9 Carnaby store to the world and to allow customers and fans to shop the collection from the comfort of their own homes through an immersive and unique online experience of this exciting retail space.”

Luxury fashion firm MadaLuxe launches new licensing division in latest business expansion

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The North American luxury fashion distributor, MadaLuxe Group, has launched a new licensing division with a primary focus on acquiring the worldwide exclusive licensing rights for all fashion categories from leading global luxury brands.

The new unit will be headed up by Steven Barbery, who has been promoted from SVP of Timepieces to the newly created role of president of licensing and timepieces.

“Steven Barbery has continually proven his skill and vision by building our timepieces business to its current position as the largest distributor of luxury fashion Swiss Made watches in North America,” said Adam Freede, CEO of MadaLuxe Group.

“He has been promoted to this new role to continue leading that growth and to oversee all operations of our MadaLuxe licensing arm in addition to MadaLuxeTime.com, our full-price e-commerce channel for timepieces, which will grow into a multicategory full-line business.

“We’re extremely confident in his ability to advance our business as we continue to expand into new categories and areas of operation.”

Barbery joined MadaLuxe in 2017 to establish a watch division when the company acquired the exclusive distribution rights for Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo and Versus Versace watches. He created a distribution strategy that paralleled the parent brands’ strategies and expanded distribution into Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom and other fine and luxury watch stores.

In 2019, MadaLuxe acquired the North America distribution rights for Fendi Timepieces.

The launch of the licensing arm is MadaLuxe’s most recent move to expand and evolve its business. In September, the company launched SLS Journey, an investment arm led by the group’s co-founder, Sandy Sholl. The investment division focuses on high-potential emerging companies that sit at the intersection of wellness, beauty, fashion and technology and that align with MadaLuxe’s vision in the luxury sector.

Phat Kandi makes licensing move for Spain and Portugal with Mondo TV

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The hit character and lifestyle brand, Phat Kandi, is making its way to the Spanish and Portuguese licensing space thanks to a new partnership with the European content specialist and third-party licensing company, Mondo TV.

A diverse brand that champions individuality, Phat Kandi has found success in the fashion market and is now looking to replicate that across a wider licensing arena. Its output already includes t-shirts, leggings and hoodies, each illustrated in the brand’s unusual design style.

Described as a bold statement brand with an edgy, Japanese twist, Phat Kandi suggests that its style lends itself to consumer products in categories such as fashion, personal care, stationery and digital. Mondo TV will look to take the brand into these categories as it works to secure partners across Spain and Portugal.

Created by the fashion designer and digital artist, Mel Williams, Phat Kandi is aimed at all consumers regardless of age, gender or social backgrounds.

Meanwhile, the appointment for the Phat Kandi brand is the latest addition to a growing list of prestigious third-party representations for Mondo, which also includes the international hit brands The Gruffalo and Feisty Pets.

Julia Gutiérrez, licensing manager, Mondo TV for Iberia, said: “We are very excited about this collaboration with Phat Kandi. We needed an iconic and lifestyle brand in our portfolio – and this is just what we were looking for.

“We are confident that the market will respond with the same enthusiasm. We can’t wait to bring Phat Kandi and its amazing creative assets to consumer products in Iberia.”

Mel Williams, creative director at Phat Kandi, added: “We are delighted to have Mondo TV represent Phat Kandi across the Iberia Region. The Mondo team are hands-on, which we’re thrilled about, and very enthusiastic about Phat Kandi – which we love.”

MGA Entertainment teams with PUMA for LOL Surprise sneaker line

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MGA Entertainment has partnered with the global sports company PUMA to help LOL Surprise fans walk with a little more pep in their step this season, thanks to the launch of a new sneaker and apparel collection. The range will be made available via Kids Foot Locker and PUMA stores across the US from this month.

Featuring L.O.L. Surprise fan favorites, Diva and Queen Bee, the two fashionable characters are the muses behind the collection. Diva is featured in the PUMA Future Rider x Diva sneaker, while Queen Bee is front and center on the PUMA Cali Sport x Queen Bee sneaker.

In addition to the PUMA Future Rider x Diva and Cali Sport x Queen Bee sneakers, the collection  includes bold graphic T-shirts and leggings that embody the bright and signature colors of the  L.O.L. Surprise brand while also sporting larger than life images of Diva and Queen Bee. 

The full PUMA x L.O.L. Surprise collection ranges from $22-$75 and will be available exclusively in store and online at the Foot Locker family of brands (including Kids Foot Locker, Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Footaction and Eastbay), PUMA.com and the PUMA NYC Store starting Nov. 20. 

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

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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.”