Clothing Confections

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 are more willing to highlight fun, novelty items as accents than to make them the central focus of an outfit. The initiatives target all ages, and are typically positioned as purchases that will bring joy to the wearer and others around them. 

Some recent examples: 

• This month, M&Ms partnered with Kate Spade New York for a global capsule collection of handbags, jewelry, and other accessories. The products, set for a holiday debut, are designed with a target market of Gen Z consumers in mind. The assortment includes crossbody coin purses, crossbody and packet key fobs, and a range of jewelry including bracelets, necklaces, earrings, charms, and rings. 

• In July of this year, Chupa Chups debuted a range of luxury leather lollipop holders, shaped like Chupa Chups lollipops, in four colors, in collaboration with Fendi. They were meant to be used as charms on Fendi bags or as pendants. The products debuted on the Fendi Fall/Winter 2024 runway and went viral—with comments both positive and negative—before becoming available for consumer purchase as a limited edition. Each charm came with a set of five cacao-vanilla Chupa Chups lollipops that fit into the single-lollipop holder, packaged in limited-edition wraps combining the logos of both companies.

• Also in July, Haribo paired with JCPenney for two drops of Goldbear Wear, both in the second half of 2024, for children, teens, and young adults. The products in the first collection included t-shirts, sweaters, shorts, pants, and accessories. The items featured colorful graphics such as the Goldbear logo and/or images of gummy bears, as well as design elements such as sculptural bear ears on a beanie. Previously, in March 2023, Haribo had collaborated with Vans on a collection of footwear, apparel, and accessories for all ages. One of the adult shoe models was printed with the Haribo tagline “Kids and grown-ups love it so, the happy world of Haribo” in 10 different languages on the quarter panels. 

• In January 2024, Gentle Jelly, a Chinese jelly candy brand, paired with Gentle Monster, the South Korean eyewear label, for a whimsical luxury collaboration sold in the Chinese and Korean markets. The glasses were in candy-colored hues and incorporated three-dimensional design elements such as strawberries, hearts, stars, or sugar-like coatings (as you would see on a gumdrop). 

• In September 2023, Hershey paired with Crocs for two models, one inspired by Hershey’s chocolate Kisses and bars and the other by Reese’s peanut butter cups. Both were released in time for Halloween. Hershey and Reese’s Jibbitz charms were also included. The footwear brand has a long history with novelty collaborations, including one with Peeps that debuted in 2020 and was reprised in 2024, both coinciding with Easter.  

• In January 2023, Jelly Belly paired with Bluestar Alliance’s Justice brand for a limited-edition tween fashion collection available exclusively at Walmart. Bright Jelly Belly colors and patterns were mixed with jelly bean graphics. Products included a range of apparel, made from materials such as denim and fleece. 

While the frequency of candy collaborations in the fashion space, including these and others, seems to be on a recent upswing, there have been many other examples over time, ranging from White Rabbit candy’s partnership with Coach for apparel, footwear, bags, and other accessories in China, in 2022, to SweeTarts pairing with Christian Siriano for a couture piece that reinforced the candy brand’s balance of sweet and tart and its “Be Both” advertising campaign, in 2019.