Collaborations between globally recognized cartoon characters and emerging and established fashion designers have become ubiquitous, with new examples arising weekly. Most of the activity to date has been in the key territories of North America, U.K. and Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and Japan. But the practice is starting to gain a foothold in some less-developed licensing territories as well:
- China. Earlier this spring, the Chinese designers Ji Cheng, Han Lulu, Cindy Soong, and Makin Ma debuted Minnie Mouse-inspired designs at Shanghai Fashion Week, with collections ranging from embroidered apparel to evening gowns.
- Russia. In March of this year, Sergey Sysoev paired with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products for a 30-item fashion collection, ranging from fur vests to dresses, tied to the film Ice Age: Collision Course. The Ice Age franchise has been a top property in Russia since the premiere of the first film.
- India. Satya Paul began working with Disney back in 2014 for her Disney Monopop by Satya Paul collection. The line, which featured Mickey and Minnie Mouse, launched with saris and later expanded to ready-to-wear items. Separately, one item in Bollywood actress Jennifer Winget’s sari collection featured Doraemon, Mickey Mouse, and Tom and Jerry; this was not a full collaboration, but rather a single item that incorporated the characters as part of the design motif.
While fashion-character collaborations are still relatively rare outside of the major territories, the number of examples is likely to rise. It stands to reason that global character licensors will continue to embrace designer partnerships to give them local credibility as they expand into new regions. And designers in emerging territories, like designers everywhere, will be attracted to such collaborations to raise awareness, bring in new customers, and keep their assortments fresh and fun.
For related stories, see the earlier RaugustReports posts “West Meets East” and “Licensors Eye Ethnic Fashion.”
In tomorrow’s Raugust Communications’ October e-newsletter, we take a look at the many ways licensors are creating fresh, new assets to extend the life of their properties. If you haven’t subscribed to this free publication yet, you can do so here. You can also catch up on the Licensing Trends of the Month from previous newsletters here.
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