RHS and George at Asda bring second kids’ clothing collection to retail

Following the success of its initial collaboration with the George at Asda brand, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced the arrival at retail of a second collection, again highlighting children’s apparel and accessories for 1-7-year-olds.

As well as being a hit at retail, the first RHS collection from George at Asda won the Best Brand Licensed Children’s Product or Range at the 2022 Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards. This second collection is set to build on that success, and focuses on a carefully selected mix of apparel for wearing out and about, including shirts, t-shirts, hoodies, dresses, shorts and backpacks, as well as sweatshirts, joggers, dungarees, cardigans, clogs and trainers.

As before, the George design team has collaborated with the RHS to create a unique print direction featuring hand-drawn illustrations of colourful plants, vegetables and insects – there’s even a friendly bumble bee-shaped backpack. Slogans encouraging kids to reconnect with nature and grow plants and veg, such as “My hobby is making garden friends”, “Plant some seeds to save the bees” and the collection’s tagline “Let’s go and grow” are highlighted throughout the collection, which can be found in back neck prints, back neck tapes and packaging.

To further underline the joys of gardening, swing tags have again been designed in the shape of flower pots. The RHS branding, highlighting the RHS tree and shield, is clearly visible on the sew-in tags and packaging.

The range is now available in 86 Asda stores and online at George.com, and selling through at an amazing speed, underlining the continuing appeal of the RHS/George collaboration over a year after the first collection hit the shelves.

Launched in 1990, George is now sold in over 580 stores and through George.com with over two million customer transactions per week combined, making George one of the largest fashion retailers in Britain.

Estella Arroyo, Product Design Profession Lead at George, says: “The positive challenge of this latest collaboration was to build on the appeal of our first collection but offering something new and exciting. The response so far has been fantastic! We are thrilled to be collaborating once again with the RHS on this and the clothing and accessories brilliantly combine style, fun and practicality – perfect for getting outside, exploring and growing!”

Cathy Snow, Licensing Manager, RHS, says: “As one of our earliest forays into children’s products – and our very first collaboration on children’s clothing – the RHS collection from George at Asda was an unqualified success, delighting children and parents and brilliantly underlining our key message – to encourage everyone to ’get growing’. We were understandably eager to develop a second collection with the talented George team, and yet again they have excelled themselves.”

RHS continues homeware expansion with Sofas & Stuff partnership

Continuing the successful expansion of the RHS brand into homeware, the Royal Horticultural Society has announced a major new partnership with British company Sofas & Stuff Ltd, a creator of bespoke sofas, chairs, beds, footstools and more.

The agreement will see RHS-inspired designs adapted for fabrics that can be used across any of the Sofas & Stuff range of handmade furniture, or purchased as fabrics for curtains and blinds or other soft furnishing projects.

Titled the RHS 22 Fabric Collection, the designs will be based on the vast range of assets available to RHS licensees from the RHS Lindley Collections, the world’s finest collection of botanical art. The RHS 22 Fabric Collection draws from a broad span of the RHS archive, taking inspiration from botanical artists and garden designers from the 17th through to the 20th centuries.

The new collection will be exclusively previewed at the Soane House Installation, Stand AR597, at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show between 23 and 28 May 2022.

Sofas & Stuff was chosen by the RHS not just for the durability, quality and British craftsmanship essential to its output but also for its strong environmental credentials. The company is committed to creating and promoting eco-friendly furniture; this includes sustainable sofas and fabrics and cushions made from recycled plastic.

The collection will be available to purchase exclusively through Sofas & Stuff, both in-store at the company’s 20 showrooms across England and Scotland, and online. Details of availability will follow in due course.

Andrew Cussins, Founder of Sofas & Stuff, says: “It was a real honour to be given the opportunity to delve into the world-renowned horticultural archives of this great British charity to select drawings and designs I could rework to create the first official fabric collection in collaboration with this iconic heritage organisation. Our customers expect quality, diversity and richness in design, and we are excited to be unveiling a preview of the RHS 22 Fabric Collection at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year, showcasing the designs in a situation that reflects both their origin and inspiration.”

Cathy Snow, Licensing Manager, RHS, says: “Sofas & Stuff craftspeople are true experts in making and upholstering bespoke sofas, chairs, beds and sofa beds, and these glorious new fabric designs are a delight. This is British craftmanship of the highest quality and we are delighted to endorse it – and indeed, to help inspire it.”

RHS partners with Annie Sloan for decorative decoupage papers

The Royal Horticultural Society and Annie Sloan, one of the world’s leading authorities in paint, colour and style, have announced a partnership for decoupage papers, a form of household decoration that simply and cost-effectively transforms a wide range of pieces in any home.

With her design team, Annie Sloan carefully searched through the RHS Lindley Collections – the world’s largest collection of botanical art – to find illustrations to cut out, repeat, combine and colour to match some of the 47 colours from Annie’s famous Chalk Paint palette, a versatile decorative furniture paint designed by Annie Sloan in 1990.

There are 12 individual designs with two large sheets of decoupage paper per pack. The RHS name and logo are prominently highlighted on the front of the packaging. The back of the packaging includes information about the RHS and its aims, alongside a practical guide to using the decoupage papers.

Annie Sloan and her team are working towards a global launch in late autumn 2021 – online and in physical stockist shops around the world. Annie Sloan sells through a network of independent shops in more than 55 countries.

Annie Sloan offers a wide selection of home decoration products, ranging from fabric, waxes and finishes to stencils, tools and of course her world-famous Chalk Paint.

Amy Honour, Head of Marketing, Annie Sloan Interiors Ltd, says: “Annie’s ambition has always been to inspire individuals with the confidence to bring colour, character and design into their homes. For this range, that colour, character and design has come about with help from the RHS – the passionate force at the heart of horticulture for more than two centuries. The result, we think, is both beautiful and memorable.”

 

RHS and Caspari present the Sunflowers range of tableware and napkins

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.

 

 

British fashion brand Oasis celebrates nature with limited edition RHS summer collection

The Royal Horticultural Society has teamed up with the British fashion brand, Oasis to launch an exclusive, limited-edition 27-piece collection of women’s apparel, designed to celebrate nature and horticulture.

The Oasis design team has worked closely with the RHS and its RHS Lindley Collection to select and adapt a portfolio of striking drawings. The fashion team then re-sketched the chosen images by hand to incorporate the prints into a new collection. The 27-piece collection features 11 prints in total.

Styles in the collection include maxi dresses featuring classic magnolias or bold multi-coloured blooms finished with embroidered trims and ruffle details. Meanwhile, unique bird prints feature on tailored separates and corseted midi dresses, listed as ‘perfect for special occasions.’

Then, what Oasis calls ‘floaty, boho-inspired pieces’ make up the chic summer dressing collection in both mini and maxi lengths, “exuding luxury with crinkle georgette fabrics, lace yoke inserts and dramatic, tie-up sleeves.”

The core target market for Oasis is women in their early-mid 30s who seek quality, intricate details and print designs with a story. However, the secondary market for Oasis apparel is a significant one, and the association with the UK’s best-loved gardening charity is expected to further enhance the appeal of this new range to a wide age group.

The collection is available online at Oasis-stores.com from the 14th of July.

Michelle Evatt, head Of design at Oasis, said: “We are extremely pleased to launch our first limited-edition collaboration with the RHS. As a brand that celebrates nature and weaves storytelling into print design, the opportunity to explore the RHS botanical print archives was priceless.

“Our design team carefully selected a handful of striking designs and re-sketched by hand, to incorporate these breathtaking prints into a collection that’s contemporary yet full of romance and timeless appeal, while capturing the essence of the RHS.”

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, added: “From sketch to store, Oasis worked closely with the RHS to capture the essence of the work in our vast library. The results are some truly enchanting prints and captivating styles that together form a beautiful collection that celebrates the joys of nature in a delightful and original way.”

Scholastic UK celebrates RHS children’s books launch with kids’ gardening competition

Scholastic UK and the Royal Horticultural Society have launched a new series of illustrated activity books for children. Aimed at encouraging readers to explore and enjoy nature outdoors, the books have been inspired by RHS gardens across the country.

The first three titles in the series were launched in the spring and include The Outdoor Adventure Handbook, which looks at discovering plants and wildlife and getting closer to nature, with activities for all weathers. Further books in the series will follow in autumn 2021 and beyond.

To celebrate the release of the first titles, Scholastic UK has also launched a nationwide gardening competition, encouraging children to create their own unique garden designs. The competition kicked off in June and will run for four months, welcoming all sizes of garden design, ranging from miniature gardens in a tray or a garden pot, to a space in a back garden, community garden, or allotment. 

The competition runs until September 30th 2021 and is open to all children aged seven to 12. The judges will include gardeners from the RHS.

The prize for first place will include a VIP guided tour of RHS Garden Wisley, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science. RHS Hilltop is the UK’s first dedicated centre of excellence for horticultural research, which helps to protect the future of plants, people and the planet.

The prize winner will also receive a full set of RHS/ Scholastic publishing and a selection of RHS licensed products to encourage their future gardening efforts. 

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, said: “The RHS is extremely excited to be involved with the judging of this competition and to provide a VIP behind-the-scenes tour of RHS Garden Wisley as part of the prize. We hope as many young people as possible will take on this design challenge and think creatively about designing a garden to suit their space at home – no matter the size of the space they have or whether it is indoors or outside.”

The Scholastic UK partnership has been curated at a time in which social restrictions have seen parents and families spending more time outside in gardens and parks. According to a survey carried out by the RHS last year, time spent gardening has increased 149 per cent, while 60 per cent of people with an outdoor space felt that having a garden helped their physical health during lockdown.

Matthew Pottage, Curator, RHS Garden Wisley, added: “My passion for gardening and growing plants started at an early age in my parents’ garden and developed into an amazing horticultural career with the RHS. I’d love this competition to inspire young people to get involved and share in my love of gardening. I’d encourage them to enter the competition – no matter what their ability or space – to be creative and to marvel at the wonder of the natural world around them.” 

Elizabeth Scoggins, publisher non-fiction, brands and licensing, Scholastic UK, concluded: “Gardens and gardening have been more important than ever to our wellbeing in recent months and few gardens are as well-loved as the five RHS gardens that are among this country’s greatest horticultural achievements. They have been an ideal inspiration both for our new range of books and for this competition, which will, we believe, attract and delight children all over the UK.”

Royal Horticultural Society plants major kids’ clothing deal with George

The Royal Horticultural Society has secured a new partnership with the award-winning George brand to produce a collection of children’s clothing and accessories to be made available in Asda stores across the UK from April 1st this year.

The new range will be aimed at kids aged one to seven years old and will span shirts, t-shirts, hoodies, dresses, shorts, boots, backpacks, and rainhats. It will include a selected mix of apparel for wearing in the garden, at picnics, during outings to the park, and more. With the British weather in mind, there will be items for both sunny and rainy days, too.

The collection is the result of a collaboration between the RHS and George who came together to create a unique print direction featuring hand-drawn illustrations of smiling vegetables, bright garden tools and colourful tractors. There are also slogans encouraging kids to connect with nature and grow plants and veg such as ‘I’m growing every day’, ‘You can find me in the back garden’, and ‘Let’s go and grow.’

To further underline the joys of gardening, swing tags have been designed in the shape of flower pots, while the RHS branding, highlighting the RHS tree and shield, is clearly visible on the sew-in tags and packaging.

The range launches on the 1st of April in Asda stores where it will be supported by a marketing campaign that will include consumer press releases, product placement and influencer support.

Launched in 1990, George is now sold in over 580 stores and through George.com with over two million customer transactions per week combined. George is a household name and has built up a reputation for quality, style and value, leading the changing face of British fashion over the past decades and making Asda one of the largest fashion retailers in Britain.

Estella Arroyo, product design profession lead at George, said: “This collaboration between George and the RHS is aimed at producing a collection of products that are beautiful to look at, great to wear and support a worthwhile message in a fun way. We are very proud to be collaborating with the RHS on this wonderful range which has been worked through by two companies who have the same values in mind. We‘re delighted with the final product which displays both quality and style and encourages children to get outside and grow.”

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, added: “This is our very first collaboration on children’s clothing and the results, in terms of products, packaging and design, have exceeded our expectations. And, of course, the whole range brilliantly supports our key message – to encourage everyone, no matter their age or ability, to ’get growing’. This line has been a joy to work on and I think it will delight its young target market as much as it has delighted us.”

Rocket Licensing receives ten Licensing Awards 2020 nominations for Hungry Caterpillar, Rebel Girls and more

Rocket Licensing is enjoying a run of industry success this year, having found itself with no fewer than ten inclusions in the shortlist for the upcoming Licensing Awards. Nominations in the 2020 awards span its work across licensed product ranges and experiential collaborations for a range of its licensors and licensees.

The slew of nominations follows the company’s recent win at the Licensing International Excellence Awards, where The Very Hungry Caterpillar campaign at the Royal Horticultural Society was named the Best Experiential or Location-based initiative.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar has now been shortlisted for seven awards, including the overall Best Preschool Licensed Property in the Licensing Awards. It has also been recognised for its RHS Summer Partnership in the Best Licensed Promotions Campaign category, its Butterfly Dress-up for George@Asda from Christys By Design is nominated in the Best Licensed Dress-up or Partyware award, and its clothing range from Denicci for Tu at Sainsbury’s is shortlisted in the Best Licensed Preschool Apparel Range category.

Rounding out the property’s nominations, its Gardening Range for the RHS from Robert Frederick is in the Best Licensed Giftware Range, Home Décor, Tableware or Housewares Range.

Meanwhile, Rebel Girls has been named a finalist in the Best Sustainable Licensed Product category, a new slot for the 2020 Licensing Awards. It’s the UK games and puzzles specialist, Gibsons and its Rebel Girls jigsaw range that has caught much of the industry attention and secured its place in the shortlist.

The puzzles, which carry Rebel sirls’ mission to highlight female role models, are printed on 100 per cent recycled puzzle board and FSC paper.

Christmas favourite, The Elf on the Shelf, has landed two spots on the finalist list, as contender for the overall Best Children’s or Tween Licensed Property (Age Group five to 12), and also in the Best Licensed Giftware Range, Home Décor, Tableware or Housewares Range category, for its Food Gifting Range from Kimm & Miller.

The Beano brand has been recognised in the Best Licensed Promotions Campaign category for the Beano Time Travellers! exhibition at Mottisfont, which explored the history of the longest running children’s comic in Britain. Meanwhile, the Horrible Science Kits and Board Game from James Galt & Co are in the running for the Best Licensed Toys or Games Range.

 Rob Wijeratna, joint MD, Rocket Licensing, said: “We’re so pleased that these awards have all been able to go ahead virtually despite all of the current restrictions, so that our industries can come together to support one another during a difficult time, and celebrate excellence in the sector.

“We’re thrilled for our licensors and licensees to have been recognised across such a wide range of categories, and would like to congratulate all the other finalists. Fingers crossed for virtual Rocket Licensing corks popping on the 16th December.”

The RHS and Scholastic to launch their first children’s activity books in February 2021

The Royal Horticultural Society has detailed the first titles in a new range of illustrated activity books for children in partnership with its publishing licensee Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books.

Aimed at children aged six to ten, the first titles in the series are scheduled to launch in February 2021. My Dinosaur Garden and My Unicorn Garden will look to inspire children to explore gardens and the outdoors with crafts, activities, gardening tips and nature facts.

The initial launch will be followed in March with the Outdoor Adventure Handbook, an activity book that will look at discovering plants, wildlife and getting closer to nature with activities for all weathers.

In May, to complement the new range, My Unicorn Garden Cards and Notelets will be launched. This is a creative make-and-do set with stickers that children can use to create unique messages to share with friends and family. Further books will follow in autumn 2021 and beyond.

The books will be available from bookshops, RHS shops, garden centres, through major online retailers and at shop.rhs.org.uk. Their publication will be marked with a collaborative marketing campaign to reach the extensive family and school audiences of both Scholastic and the RHS.

These are the first RHS-licensed publications from Scholastic following the announcement of a major RHS partnership with the respected children’s book publisher in August 2019. The partnership encompasses a wide range of children’s publications, including sticker and activity books, handbooks, illustrated non-fiction, board and colouring books, annuals, e-books and journals.

All the publications will make use of the range of expertise available to the UK’s favourite gardening charity as well as drawing on its work with families, schools and children.

This announcement also coincides with the continuing development of the RHS range of children’s products supported by a special style guide, both of which were announced at BLE 2019. The charity is addressing this growing young audience through a strong focus on children’s products in the coming months. This is especially relevant given the growth in family visits to gardens and parks – along with the much greater time devoted to gardening – during this year’s travel restrictions.

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, said: “One of our most important missions as Britain’s leading gardening charity is to encourage children to develop an interest in gardens and gardening. This is underlined by our development of a licensing programme for children’s products – and who better to help us communicate our message than one of the most admired names in children’s publishing?

“These activity books, which both inform and entertain, are a marvellous introduction to the wonders of wildlife and the joys of gardening.”

Elizabeth Scoggins, publisher, non-fiction, licensing and brands for Scholastic UK, added: “It is a privilege to be working with the RHS, the UK’s most-loved gardening charity. 2020 has made everyone really appreciate opportunities to be outdoors and to explore nature on our doorsteps.

“We look forward to publishing books that inspire children and families to discover the wonders of plants, wildlife and the outdoors using the expertise and passion of the RHS.”