The popularity of Japanese culture—anime and manga, kawaii characters, videogames, baseball players, and streetwear brands, to name a few examples—has been expanding globally for years. Lately, a growing number of collaborations involving these IPs, and western IPs as well, have started to integrate nods to traditional Japanese handcrafts and arts in their designs. Most of […]
The Grass is Greener
The fashion business is constantly affected by changes in artistic leadership, as creative directors come and go fairly regularly. But over the past 12 to 15 months the pace of turnover has been picking up, especially among luxury labels. Members of the fashion press have described 2024 as a record year for new creative directors […]
Classic Toons Assist in the Classroom
Owners of character properties, mostly of the classic variety, continue to forge deals that bring their IPs into PreK-12 schools by way of educational content. Some of the efforts are targeted toward families at home, too, but all have at least some presence in school systems. In the past, such tie-ins would have been perceived […]
Candy Kisses
With the current popularity of food brands, especially those of the sweet variety, across all consumer products, and the current power of the beauty category as a center of collaboration activity, it is no wonder that partnerships pairing candy, cookies, and other sweets with color cosmetics, lip balms, skincare, and the like have been a […]
Luxury Brands Run Toward Barefoot Shoes
An increasing, albeit still small, number of collaborations—especially in the luxury space—are focused on barefoot shoes, a type of footwear that took off with runners in the 1970s and is making a comeback of sorts today. With thin, even soles and no elevation at the heel; a lightweight and flexible construction throughout; no padding or […]
Characters Promote Plant-Based Products
The plant-based meat substitutes industry has been facing headwinds lately. It has been difficult to convince mainstream consumers to adopt the product, and sales are declining, after a spike during the pandemic. Marketers have increasingly been looking to partnerships with licensed entertainment and character properties to raise awareness with a wider audience; increase trial, especially […]
Games of Skill and Chance
At Toy Fair New York this week, there are many reminders of how licensed properties have long proven to be a good fit with board and other tabletop games for all ages. While not every licensed game will be a success, licensing is assuming an expanded role in several current trends in the board and […]
Political Winds Blow on Black History Month
By Karen Raugust on February 27, 2025 in Demographic groups, Diversity/Inclusion, Fashion, House and home, Licensing
Black History Month 2025—the first since corporations in the U.S. began pulling back on their D.E.I. programs and plans in a big way—winds down tomorrow. Many brands, including the likes of Target and Walmart, have recently ended programs to support Black-owned brands at retail, among other initiatives, that began in the wake of the 2020 […]
Japandi Design: Wabi-Sabi Meets Hygge
By Karen Raugust on February 24, 2025 in Design and content themes, House and home, Licensing, Lifestyle
The concept of Japandi has been trending for at least a decade, mostly in the context of interior design focused on high-end homes and luxury hotels. The minimalist movement combines the Japanese practice of wabi-sabi, which is about slow living, simplicity, and contentment, with the complementary Scandinavian philosophy known by different names in each country but […]
Technology + Beauty = Opportunity
A notable trend in the beauty industry in recent years has been the rise of technology-powered devices that are billed as advantageous for beauty and wellness, especially in the skin-, nail-, and haircare categories. Some examples include tools featuring red- and blue-light therapy, dermaplaning, smart cleaning technology, microcurrent and microneedling, intense pulsed light (IPL), and […]