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 […]
Archive | Licensing
Chefs Stir Up Streetwear Collabs
Celebrity chefs have occasionally lent their names and expertise to chef-related workwear, including chef’s coats, shirts, and shoes; these typically comprise pieces that are functional, comfortable, and protective, while also fashionable. More recently, as more chefs have built mainstream followings through their social media presences as well as their restaurants, cookbooks, and TV appearances, famous […]
Collaborations Worth Their Salt
Collaborations focused on infused salts, mostly limited editions, have been on the rise since about 2022. The products are both colorful and flavorful and are intended for use as cocktail rimmers, finishing salts for baked goods, and beyond. Most examples involve IPs that are closely tied to the food and beverage industry: Rokz, a maker […]
Coin of the Licensing Realm
Over the past year, the number of licensed properties lending their names to crypto meme coins has started to rise. Meme coins are digital assets that are based on pop culture and social media trends. They are mostly non-licensed, either original or borrowing on the fame of an existing trend; the latter situation sometimes leads […]
What’s in a Name?
Licensing executives are always looking to pair their properties or products with logical partners, in ways that are creative and new but also emphasize a commonality that provides a raison d’être for the collaboration. The shared characteristics might be common history, materials, interests, geography, or any number of other elements. One rationale that has popped […]
Branding for Babies
The 2025 ABC Kids Expo was held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center May 21 to 23, overlapping with Licensing Expo 2025 in an adjacent exhibition space. The event is focused on baby toys, apparel, books, gifts, strollers, furniture, feeding systems, and other gear, with exhibitors ranging from the biggest players in the space to small […]
Highlighting the Rogues and Scoundrels
Property owners in the realms of entertainment, sports, and celebrity licensing, on the hunt for ways to put new spins on their properties, are increasingly launching collections focused on villainous characters, both fictional and real: Disney was the pioneer in this technique, launching its Disney Villains brand many years ago and regularly offering products under […]
Full of Beans
BBC Studios’ deal with Bush’s for Bluey Baked Beans, announced last week, brings attention to a product that is not often top of mind in the world of licensed merchandise. But agreements in this category are not unheard of. In fact, several partnerships involving baked beans, mainly featuring character properties and food brands, have bubbled […]
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Plus-size apparel collaborations started to take off in earnest more than a decade ago, around 2014, with designers and celebrities like Isabel Toledo, Lela Rose, Ashley Graham, and Gabi Gregg leading the charge. The trend evolved quickly, moving from addressing a gap in the marketplace with the creation of specialized plus-size collections to including plus-size […]
Pickleball: More Players, More Products
Pickleball participation increased 56% in 2024, according to the National Sporting Goods Association, marking the third year in a row that the sport has seen annual growth of 50% or more. While the number of new pickleball-related licensed product initiatives seems to have died down a bit compared to earlier in the sport’s short lifespan […]