Brands Bolster Bed and Bath

Licensing remains a force in home goods, especially in the home textiles sector, even as the industry as a whole faces some post-pandemic challenges. Here is a roundup of some of the many properties—across several property types but with a focus on fashion and lifestyle—that have entered the category in 2023. All take the form of long-term traditional licensing agreements:

• Earlier this month, Authentic Brands Group licensed Taram Textiles to produce the Reebok home collection for the U.S. and Canada. The bedding and bath products are inspired by Reebok’s performance attributes and based on the idea that consumers should view sleep the same as they do exercise and diet, as part of an overall wellness regimen. Products range from pillows with cooling properties and memory foam support to towels that are anti-microbial, quick-drying, and/or neck-cooling. As with the core Reebok brand, the collection will encompass good, better, and best tiers.

• The same day, ABG also announced it was naming Avanti Linens as its licensee for Izod kitchen textiles and bath products for the U.S. and Canada. The companies said the line will mirror Izod’s classic American, elegant, timeless style, described as “updated coastal,” at a good value. Products in the range include coordinated towels, bath rugs, shower curtains, and bathroom accessories, along with beach towels, table linens, and kitchen textiles, all with a focus on craftsmanship.

• Denim brand True Religion, owned by TowerBrook Capital Partners, announced its licensing agreement with En Vogue in August. The deal marked True Religion’s first foray into the home category. It entered the sector with a line of sheets, comforters, pillows, bath towels, bath and area rugs, desk and bath organization items, kitchen mitts, aprons, and table linens and placemats.

• In May, Highclere Castle, the real-life 5,000-acre U.K. estate that served as Downton Abbey in the long-running TV series, and its agency Licensing Management International licensed Standard Fiber Partners for a line of bedding, bath, and pet products that are meant to capture the elegance, charm, and English sensibility of the estate. Highclere’s owners, Lord and Lady Carnarvon, are involved in the development of the products, which include sheet sets, towels, blankets and throws, duvet covers, pillowcases, pet beds, bathrobes, and more. The licensing agreement covers the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, along with limited distribution in Europe.

• The Jessica McClintock label and its agent Concept Marketing Group signed a license with CMN International, announced in March, for home textiles under the Jessica McClintock and Gunne Sax by Jessica McClintock labels. The brands are inspired by Victorian, Edwardian, and Medieval influences, which will be highlighted in the collection of comforters, quilts, sheet sets, basic bedding, bath towels, and other home textiles. The products will incorporate signature McClintock details such as calico and cotton batiste fabrics, ribbons, lace, and eyelets. Jessica McClintock recently revived the retro Gunne Sax dress line after a 10-year hiatus, through a collaboration with ModCloth. The Jessica McClintock brand has long had a presence in home textiles.

• Lifestyle expert Evette Rios, who has contributed to Rachael Ray and several Univision programs and has her own Facebook Live series, Slice, licensed Mainstream International for her first textiles collection in a deal announced in February. The assortment includes kitchen textiles, table linens, comforters and quilts, shams, sheets, and bath goods including towels, shower curtains, and bath accessories. The line features a colorful palette inspired by Rios’ Puerto Rican heritage.

• In January, B. Smith Enterprises, which handles commercial activities for the late lifestyle expert B. Smith, announced it had licensed American Homes and Textiles for a line of bedding, sheets, bath towels, and chair cushions under the B. Smith with Style label. The goal of the range is to capture the Black-owned brand’s founding principle, “Whatever you do, do it with style.”

These and other 2023 deals follow a long roster of licensing agreements signed in the category in 2022, including Calvin Klein with Revman and Sports Illustrated with Mainstream, among many others. In addition, several longtime licensing partners in the category have expanded their lines in 2023. For example, Iconix International’s London Fog and Pem America, its home textile licensing partner for 15 years, are celebrating the former’s 100th anniversary as well as rolling out new fashion bedding, sheets, and utility and cold-weather bedding.

While licensing remains strong in the home textiles space, players face challenges in this market, which has suffered declines since the explosion in sales during the COVID-related lockdowns. Market conditions have resulted in some brands having to rethink their strategy for licensing. One notable example is Therapedic. In September, it opened distribution of licensed products under its core and related brands to multiple retail channels, thanks to the end of its 15-year exclusive with now-defunct Bed Bath & Beyond. Licensees that supplied the BB&B program remain on board, including Allied Feather & Down, Globe Cotyarn, Keeco, Indo Count, Lichtenberg, Micro Cotton, Pem America, and SFX Sleep. Licensed products include a variety of pillows, pads, and protectors; fiber beds; sheets and towels; blackout window treatments; and bath rugs and mats.