Apparel, accessories, and footwear items taking their inspiration from the sport of tennis—pleated tennis skirts, tennis dresses, skorts, preppy polo shirts, V-neck sweaters, and the like—have been hot commodities in the fashion industry this year. Brands such as Adidas and Nike are involved, but so are designers and labels such as Tory Burch and Dior. […]
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Augmenting Activism Through Product Alignments
Celebrities are increasingly taking roles as activists, from supporting Black Lives Matter, to promoting women’s rights in light of the Me-Too movement, to highlighting sustainability. Meanwhile, activists working toward various causes are more often becoming celebrities in their own right. Members of both groups are looking at fashion and other product collaborations and brand ambassadorships […]
Stretching Out
Sales of activewear in the U.S. in the first six months of 2021 increased 40% compared to the same period in 2020 and 25%-plus compared to 2019, according to the NPD Group. As social activities start to open back up, consumers are going out with an increasingly casual sense of style, leading the fashion world […]
Collaborations Honor Black History
By Karen Raugust on February 18, 2021 in Art, Demographic groups, Design and content themes, Fashion, Licensing
Black History Month in February of each year has not traditionally maintained as high a profile within the consumer product and collaboration space as Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place in September and October and has increasingly been seen as a time for licensors and their partners to create themed collections. IP owners and brands […]
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 […]
Getting Out the Vote
By Karen Raugust on October 19, 2020 in Design and content themes, Licensing, Politics/social movements
Every four years as the U.S. Presidential election comes around, licensors, licensees, and retailers create products and promotional initiatives highlighting themes tied to voting. Historically, these have been mostly focused on merchandise featuring vote-related graphics, primarily as a way to offer some fresh and timely designs. This year, however, marketers (many with ties to the […]
Sketches and Scribbles
Last week, Firefly Brand Management announced that it had signed on to represent professional doodler Todd Goldman for licensing representation. That follows on the heels of Striker Entertainment being retained by the Doodle Boy. It turns out that a long list of professional doodle artists from around the world promote their hand-drawn patterns and characters […]
A Collection of Museum Collaborations
Designer collaborations encompassing apparel, accessories, and footwear involve a variety of licensed properties, from characters and sports leagues to corporate brands and celebrities. Museums have been less frequent players, aside from a few key institutions. But more and more, museums with a range of specialties are pairing with fashion labels in a number of ways: […]
Getting a Kick Out of Fashion
Leading football clubs around the world, like other sports organizations, have been forging deals with design labels for fashion-forward apparel collections. Some of the examples in the second half of this year: Manchester United paired with True Religion for a line of premium denim for women and men, along with a future junior’s range, sold […]
Smart, Chic, and Strategic
The fall season has seen a flurry of activity in the wearables sector, focusing on both fashion and fitness and encompassing not only watches and bands but also eyewear, belts, and apparel. Some of the deals have centered on upping the fashion quotient. Hermès partnered with Apple for a Hermès edition of the Apple Watch, […]