In cricket-obsessed India, athletes known for their prowess on the pitch are increasingly pairing with fashion companies for capsule collections, brand ambassadorships (which can ultimately lead to capsules), or both. Examples of the growing number of partnerships arising in the last couple of years include the following: Skechers partnered with Mohammed Siraj in September 2025, […]
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Drone On
Drone shows have become a fast-growing experiential category for licensors looking for new ways to engage consumers and promote their properties and initiatives. Not only are drone shows appealing to fans as a relatively new type of experience in their own right, but they are also gaining popularity as an alternative to fireworks, which are […]
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 […]
Soccer Clubs Charm Fans with Year of the Snake Designs
As we near the start of this year’s Lunar New Year celebrations on January 29, we take a look at an active area of collaboration tied to the holiday, namely European soccer/football clubs who mark the moment with special jerseys and other apparel designs in partnership with their official jersey licensees or other companies. These […]
Opportunities in Africa Accelerate
Brands Licensing Africa 2024, billed as the first-ever licensing trade show on the continent, recently took place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The event reflects an interest in Africa—as both a licensing market and a source of intellectual property—that has been building slowly for many years. While the North African region and the country of South […]
Hidden Treasure
A design technique that is currently trending in collaborative apparel collections is to hide meaningful text and graphics in linings, pockets, and collars where they are not visible, except to the owner of the piece. A few examples from the world of sports and sportswear this past summer illustrate: Sportscraft, the long-time creator of the […]
Character-Sports Collaborations for the Win
Just over a year ago, we wrote about how tie-ins bringing together sports organizations and entertainment properties, including musicians and characters, were experiencing a cyclical surge, with collaborations between the NBA, My Hero Academia, and Hyperfly; Major League Soccer, Adidas, and Marvel; and Lacrosse Unlimited and Peanuts among the examples at the time. The trend has […]
A Matter of Pride
By Karen Raugust on June 17, 2024 in Branding/marketing, Diversity/Inclusion, Licensing, Politics/social movements
The significant consumer backlash suffered by companies such as Target, Bud Light, Disney, Starbucks, the L.A. Dodgers, and others for their Pride promotions in 2023 has led some key companies to reduce their public support of Pride Month in 2024, or avoid acknowledging the moment altogether. For example: Target is cutting back on its Pride […]
Luxury Autos Drive Limited Sneaker Designs
News recently came to light about two limited-edition sneaker collaborations, namely Alfa Romeo pairing with Greats and Porsche teaming with Puma. These new initiatives are a reminder of how car brands, especially on the luxury end of the scale, have been common and high-profile players in the crowded sneaker-collaboration space for years, with the frequency […]
Rappers Tee Up Golf Collaborations
In recent years, rappers and their fashion and lifestyle labels have become increasingly involved in licensing and collaboration deals yielding collections of golf-influenced apparel, accessories, and footwear. In fact, in some cases, the artists’ lifestyle brands themselves are golf-related. Some examples from the last 12 months illustrate the accelerating trend: Tyler, the Creator’s Golf Le […]