New Spins On Ancient Artisanal Crafts

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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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Political Winds Blow on Black History Month

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 […]

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Japandi Design: Wabi-Sabi Meets Hygge

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 […]

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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 […]

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