Toys have long been part of the world of museum licensing — the latter a sector that has, overall, been expanding greatly in recent years — yet they remain a relatively small part of most institutions’ brand-extension efforts. That said, a number of high-profile deals have come to light this year in which leading museums […]
Tag Archives | Van Gogh Museum
Fine Art Meets Fashion Retail
The fashion industry has been turning more and more often to art and artists for new apparel collections that grab consumers’ attention. One segment within that sphere that has been expanding of late consists of pairings of classic fine artists, licensed through their estates or museums that hold artworks of theirs, with fashion retailers. A […]
Museums Exhibit a Knack for Licensing
Art museums around the world are expanding their licensing efforts, continuing a trend that has intensified over the past several years. Licensed products and experiences can be a way to raise awareness by bringing museums’ brands and artwork into new places, generate ancillary revenue that helps keep the institution open and support its mission, and […]
Picture-Perfect Beauty
Art museums, and the fine artists whose work appears in those institutions, have increasingly been forging licensing and collaboration deals in the beauty category—especially in fragrances—resulting in creative interpretations of key works of art, not just on packaging but in the formulation of the scents and color palettes themselves. Products range from exceedingly limited and […]
Museums Mark Mid-Autumn
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration of the Harvest Moon that takes place in China and other parts of Asia, this year on September 21. In the lead-up to this big holiday, designers and fashion labels, chefs, hotels, corporate brands, characters, and video game properties have increasingly partnered for gift sets containing mooncakes, a delicacy […]
Color Schemes
A number of museums have recently worked with licensees or collaborators on products that feature a work of art’s color palette as the core design element. This is in contrast to incorporating a full representation of the original work or a pattern or element inspired by it, which is the traditional route taken by most […]
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: […]
True Colors, Part 2
If you’ve done any holiday shopping this year, you certainly have noted the prominent and often vast displays of adult coloring books in stores of all types. Nearly every publisher seems to offer at least one adult coloring book, with more to come. Less than a month ago (November 19), we noted the rise of […]