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 […]
Tag Archives | Gucci
Toys Look Good in Designer Togs
Fashion and toys have come together for decades, from Mattel’s extensive collection of fashion dolls with designers like Bob Mackie (who has created 47 different versions of Barbie) to specialists such as Integrity Toys, whose offerings include the Jason Wu Collection. The past year has seen a flurry of activity in the fashion-meets-toy space, as […]
Playing Dress-Up
When esports teams, leagues, and other organizations first entered the apparel licensing game, they started by working with specialty companies dedicated to esports. As awareness levels among mainstream consumers rose, they began pairing with the big sportswear companies, especially those that were licensees of traditional sports IP owners such as the U.S. major leagues or […]
Eco-Friendly Fungus
On this Earth Day 2021, it seems like a good time to take a look at the rising popularity of mushrooms as a focal point of sustainability initiatives. Mushrooms and mycelium, the vegetative branching filaments (akin to a root system) of a fungus, are viable not only as eco-friendly food ingredients but as materials to […]
Anime Goes Luxe
By Karen Raugust on April 15, 2021 in Character/Entertainment, Design and content themes, Fashion, International, Licensing
Anime and kawaii properties have become perennially popular on licensed products worldwide. For the past year, they have had a particularly high profile in the global fashion industry, with a large number of collaborations involving labels ranging from streetwear and sportswear to, most notably, luxury brands: Undercover, the label of designer Jun Takahashi, created a […]
Rocking Sustainability
A wide range of licensors have begun incorporating sustainable elements into their licensed products and collaborative collections—or are at least considering doing so—especially when it comes to fashion. Musicians represent one of the groups with a relatively long track record in this segment and, like other IP owners, their focus on sustainability has been on […]
Welcome to the Year of the Ox
By Karen Raugust on February 11, 2021 in Design and content themes, Holiday, International, Licensing
Tomorrow (February 12) marks the start of the Lunar New Year. As brands increasingly mark this occasion with collections of products—especially in China and other parts of Asia, but in other regions as well—some look to the year’s Chinese zodiac symbol for inspiration. This creates opportunities for licensed properties that happen to be associated with […]
Accessorizing with Tech
Properties of all types have extended their names and designs into mobile phone cases and other accessories for personal electronics. With the ubiquity of smartphones in daily life, such licensed products have become important means of social expression for consumers. Tech accessories have also taken their place as a fashion statement, and that fact was […]
Lending a Helping Hand
Many companies active in the global licensing and consumer products business are doing what they can to support medical professionals and consumers during the COVID-19 crisis. In addition to being the right thing to do, their efforts help keep some of their workers employed, utilize existing capacity and already-purchased materials, and give them a positive […]
Culture Clash
The NBA has been facing some significant challenges in the Chinese market since Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey dipped his toes into the political situation between Hong Kong and mainland China by tweeting support for the Hong Kong protesters. The situation serves as an example of the ramifications of being perceived as culturally or […]