Designers and labels from the world of fashion have long been key players in licensed home textiles. A recent burst of licensing and collaboration deals have involved companies known for their expertise in specific sectors of the fashion industry, such as innerwear, headwear, and footwear. These niches may not, at first glance, seem to be […]
Archive | Accessories
Change in the Innerwear Industry
The innerwear category has seen a lot of structural change in the past year, through mergers, acquisitions, and new or restructured licensing models: Wacoal International, a global innerwear company based in Japan, acquired Glamorise, a direct-to-consumer plus-size lingerie specialist, in a deal announced last week. Wacoal, which in the U.S. sells primarily to the department […]
High-End Designers Tap Into Smart Devices
By Karen Raugust on March 2, 2026 in Accessories, Electronics, Fashion, Licensing, Luxury, Technology
In the mid- to late 2010s, fashion designers’ collaborations with wearable technology companies were thought to be key to growing this then-nascent industry. Fashion labels’ design expertise would help turn wearables into sleeker, more attactive devices, and their names would bring new customers to the segment. While many deals were announced at the time, they […]
Turning Up The Heat
Heated clothing is a segment of the apparel, accessories, and footwear category that is about to hit its peak selling season in the Northern hemisphere. These pieces, which include battery-powered heating elements to keep people warm when spending long periods outdoors, represent a small portion of licensing deals within the apparel industry. But it is […]
Racing-related Eyewear Picks Up Speed
By Karen Raugust on September 18, 2025 in Accessories, Automotive, Corporate brands, Licensing, Sports
Racing in all of its forms has had a big presence in many product categories over the past few years, especially in the fashion realm. The properties in question include not only auto racing, which dominates collaboration activity in this space, but also increasingly bike, motorcycle, sailboat, and horse racing as well, not to mention […]
Rubbing Shoulders with Plush Greatness
By Karen Raugust on September 4, 2025 in Accessories, Character/Entertainment, Licensing, Toys/Games
An article last week in The New York Times detailed how Disney theme parks’ adult superfans are embracing shoulder plush of Disney characters as their go-to accessory during their visit. The product was introduced in 2018 with a Baby Groot version, according to the article, and there will be 45 different versions across all the company’s […]
Bringing the Bling to the Eyewear Category
Jewelry and eyewear have long been compatible products that come together through licensing and collaboration deals. Both fall into the realm of fashion accessories, and partnerships with like-minded companies help them fill out their offerings within that broader category. In addition, blinged out sunglasses and optical frames tend to be popular—with ups and downs over […]
Cheesy Fashion Choices
Food imagery in fashion has been a hot topic over the past few years, with the trend coming to a peak in 2024 and interest continuing into 2025. Licensed brand names are part of it, from Kate Spade’s M&Ms and Heinz ketchup bags to Huemn’s shirts, t-shirts, and hoodies with Lay’s. The idea is to […]
Luxury Labels Wage A Charm Offensive
Bag charms have been a notable accessory in the luxury handbag sector over the last year or so, part of a broader ongoing trend pairing fun with high-end fashion. The craze has also been driven by the industry’s current focus on Y2K-era retro styles. Miu Miu and Balenciaga were among the labels that notably highlighted […]
Clothing Confections
By Karen Raugust on October 31, 2024 in Accessories, Corporate brands, Fashion, Food/Beverage, Licensing
Candy brands have long been participants in fashion collaborations, but they seem to be experiencing a particularly active period in this space these days. Designs tend to go all-in on prominently featuring the shapes, colors, mascots, and packaging associated with the IP, and the focus is largely—but not entirely—on accessories categories, in part because consumers […]