Category Archives: Lifestyle

Art Ask Agency signs Frida Kahlo apparel range with Park Agencies

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Art Ask Agency has signed a new Frida Kahlo licensed apparel collection in partnership with the UK licensee, Park Agencies to bring a 20 SKU collection to the Polish fashion retailer, Medicine.

Nearly 1,000 stores across Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Belarus, as well as online, saw the launch of the new range this week, with items ranging from t-shirts, blouses and denim jackets, to skirts, airy dresses and socks and scarves. The collection features items for both men and women.

“This has been one of my favourite collections of 2020/2021. By designing different pieces inspired by Frida’s unique folk art, we can make sure her iconic style and image lives on. I love every piece,” said Deepal Parmar, licensing manager, Park Agencies Ltd.

“It is hard not to recognize the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Dark eyebrows and red lips are elements of her image that ensure that her character never loses its expressiveness. This is also what the new Medicine collection, inspired by her art, is like – it is impossible to pass by it indifferently. Express yourself,” added the Medicine fashion buying team.

BRANDBQ Sp. z o. o. is the owner of the Medicine brand, which was established in August 2013.

Medicine clothing is created by Polish designers, and famous artists are often invited to cooperate to create unique, limited collections. Medicine focuses on a creative approach to fashion by creating original collections, original prints, and collaborations with young artists.

Guinness partners with Ginsters to ‘elevate the at home mealtime’ with new savoury slice

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The iconic Irish brewer, Guinness has joined forces with the UK pastry brand, Ginsters to launch a new Ginsters Smoky Steak and Guinness slice.

In a deal brokered by Beanstalk, the premium recipe has been developed by the Cornish born, award-winning head chef, Chris Eden – a longstanding Ginster chef partner – helping the pair innovate in the savoury slices category.

According to Ginsters, the new launch is ‘set to widen appeal among valuable post family shoppers who account for two thirds of all category spend.’

The slice combines 100 per cent British farmed beef with potato, carrot, onion, swede, leek, chestnut mushrooms, black treacle, garlic and a measure of world-famous Guinness. Brought together in a rich gravy and infused with smoked salt, the filling is then wrapped in Ginsters’ hallmark 80- layer light, puff pastry to finish.

It uses a blend of spices and quality British ingredients, including  vegetables from Hay Farm on Cornwall’s Rame Peninsula – 15 miles from the Ginsters bakery. 

Sam Mitchell, Ginsters’ managing director, commented: “We’re all looking for more excitement at the moment and lunch has become even more important in our day. We know consumers are up for trying new things and looking for recipes with a difference. It’s our job to keep the category fresh and bring flavour-driven innovations to the aisle for shoppers.

“We have come together with Guinness to contemporise a traditional recipe with our combined signature taste. Ginsters’ chefs and Guinness’ master brewers have created a bold new flavour which brings vibrancy into the subcategory while elevating the at-home mealtime occasion.” 

Neil Shah, head of Guinness Great Britain, added: “Guinness and food is an iconic combination, be it as an ingredient or as a perfect pairing. Teaming up with Ginsters is a celebration of our unique  heritages and shared values, bringing together the best of our regions – all while having fun with flavours and bringing consumers something new.” 

The Ginsters Smoky Steak & Guinness Slice is the latest in several recent co-partnered product launches for Ginsters. In 2020, the savoury pastry market leader continued its partnership with meat-free pioneer, Quorn, to launch the Vegan Peppered Steak Slice and the Ginsters’ Vegan Quorn Sausage Roll – an innovation strategy that has contributed to Ginsters’ 9.6 per cent overall year-on-year  growth. 

Art Ask Agency celebrates Frida Kahlo’s licensing success as Calzedonia launch surpasses expectations

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Art Ask Agency is celebrating the continued success of its Frida Kahlo licensing programme having most recently watched the Calzedonia Frida Kahlo collection launch and marketing campaign surpass all expectations.

Across all social media platform, the firm has seen high engagement as fans from across the globe welcome the latest product offering from Calzedonia. The officially licensed range features seven pairs of socks, catering for various consumer targets and styles, including casual, elegant and sport, and four pairs of embellished tights.

According to the team, various models in the collection have already sold out, with new stock on its way.

“The Frida Kahlo Corporation is proud to celebrate Frida Kahlo. In her lifetime she would become many women, all of them different and contained within one. Frida was a Woman, a Daughter, a Sister, a Wife, a Friend, and a Lover.  She was an Artist who painted flowers and who today is the muse that inspires this collaboration with Calzedonia for those of us who dare to be different,” said Beatriz Alvarado, head of international affairs, Frida Kahlo Corporation.

Gruppo Calzedonia is a main player in the legwear and beachwear sector on a European level and one of the main ones worldwide. Calzedonia has a well-established online sales channel which is giving Frida fans the possibility to purchase products online and in store, despite any pandemic restrictions.

The Calzedonia press team said in a statement: “Kahlo’s signature style, from long circle skirts to embroidered blouses and intricate floral compositions in her hair, is rich with aesthetic imagery and has allowed the artist to resonate with audiences even in the 21st century, becoming the focus of international fashion and inspiring the collections of haute couturiers and the fashion world in general, from runways to streetwear trends.

“Socks, entirely on-trend today and stars of countless cool outfits in recent months (loungewear and otherwise), come alive with fun, bright prints in true ‘Rebel’ style.”

Etta Loves partners with Keith Haring Foundation on new baby collection

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The baby and mother specialist, Etta Loves has teamed with the Keith Haring Foundation to create a new range of sensory baby products that makes use of the artist’s much-loved designs and embodying Haring’s own sentiments that ‘art is for everyone.’

The new range brings the art of Haring to a new generation, combining the iconic prints with the science that is at the heart of the Etta Loves product range. A popular artists and activist, Haring was part of the New York art scene during the 1980s. Since then, his classic colourful figures have become an iconic symbol in popular culture.

The new Etta Loves x Keith Haring collection of baby essentials combines his art with the expertise that Etta Loves’ resident NHS orthoptist – an expert in children’s vision who consults with the design team – to bring a range that supports babies’ visual and cognitive development.

The science of Etta Loves aims to ensure that babies are stimulated and mesmerised, giving parents moments of calm throughout the day.

The collection comprises two designs: Baby and Brazil. Baby features Haring’s iconic crawling babies in high contrast black and white. Etta Loves has scaled the design to support babies’ visual and cognitive developments from birth to around four months. Meanwhile, Brazil is a brightly coloured version of Haring’s 1989 artwork of the same name, recoloured and scaled to support babies from five months to around one year old.

The collection includes Etta Loves favourites including its reversible playmat, the best-selling sensory strip, extra large muslins, comforters, a teether, and two new products.

The Haring Foundation, said: “The Haring Studio is excited to partner with innovative brand Etta Loves, bringing Haring’s core message of Art is for everybody to a new generation. Haring’s Iconic and bold artwork, with minimal use of lines make the perfect patterns for these sensory designs.” 

Jen Fuller, founder of Etta Loves, added: “Keith Haring famously said that “Art is for everyone” so to be able to introduce the radiant joy of his work to a new generation is an honour.

“This unique range truly does collide art with science in the most magical of ways, to support babies with their development whilst giving parents some well needed and very stylish calm in the everyday.”

Cosmopolitan UK expands its home collection in partnership with Comfy Group

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Cosmopolitan, the UK’s media brand for young women is expanding its CosmoLiving by Cosmopolitan home collection in a new deal brokered by the licensing agency, IMG.

The CosmoLiving by Cosmopolitan collection will be expanded with new products created in partnership with leading textile manufacturer Comfy Group, including pillows, duvets, bed linen, cushions and throws, as well as bath and beach towels.

The new line will launch in May 2021 with Next, both in-store and online, followed by BrandAlley, Very, Amazon and SleepyPeople from June 2021, with prices ranging from £8 to £65.

CosmoLiving by Cosmopolitan has been popular since its launch in February 2020, and already includes home and garden furniture and accessories. The CosmoLiving brand is currently available to buy from Wayfair and Otto across Europe.

 Angela Kim, senior international licensing director at Hearst, said: “After CosmoLiving by Cosmopolitan’s successful launch last year, we are focused on the expansion of this programme in the UK with even more products and categories that are modern, elegant and small-space friendly at an affordable price.

“Through data, we know this is what the Cosmopolitan audience is searching for. In the case of the textile category, the industry best, Comfy Group, is the most fitting partner for us to offer stylish bedding to our new retail partners.”

 Bob Moryoussef, managing director at Comfy Group, said: “While we have a near half century experience in textile manufacturing, this partnership marks Comfy Group’s first licence with a media brand, and we’re delighted to be joining forces with one of the country’s most recognised consumer platforms.

“Our team has worked closely with Hearst and IMG to ensure this new collection offers the perfect combination of high-quality manufacturing and trend-driven design. We can’t wait for the launch and to see how the mix of stylish bed, bath and beach products are incorporated into the homes and lives of the dynamic Cosmopolitan customer.”

Additional new categories being targeted in 2021 will include electrical appliances and tabletop accessories.

Silo Wellness to launch psychedelic micro-dosing mushroom range under the Bob Marley brand

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Silo Wellness, a wellness company in the psychedelics and functional mushrooms marketplace, has entered into a multi-year licensing agreement with the family of the music and lifestyle legend, Bob Marley.

The deal offers Silo the exclusive worldwide rights to brand, market, and sell a product line of functional and psychedelic mushrooms.

“Our family is happy to collaborate with Silo Wellness to create the first ever global mushroom brand,” commented family matriarch Rita Marley. “When Bob and I were young we followed a strict, natural diet and we would include medicinal mushrooms. Mushrooms fit with our vision of a world transformed for good through natural products.”

“These are transformative times in which we are living. Our family seeks to use our platform to help facilitate positive change. Mushrooms have been used for centuries, and we believe they offer a natural pathway for healing and positivity,” stated Cedella Marley, daughter of Rita and Bob Marley.

As reported by Investing News, Jamaica is the only country in the world where psilocybin is not illegal to grow, extract and sell, positioning the island nation to benefit from wellness tourism as well as sales of psychedelic mushrooms.

The licensing agreement covers the development of a stand-alone Marley brand portfolio of functional and psychedelic micro-dosing mushroom products, formats, devices and promotional items. Silo Wellness has pledged a percentage of product sales to be contributed towards a charitable organization to be mutually agreed upon between the Marley family and Silo.

“We are incredibly excited to strike a long-term licensing agreement with the most iconic brand to ever emerge from Jamaica,” said Douglas K. Gordon, chief executive officer of Silo Wellness.

“There is deep respect for the legacy of Bob Marley, and we are honored to be entrusted as good stewards of a brand that stands for universal wellness and natural healing. We look forward to introducing a portfolio of quality branded products with instant name recognition and global visibility, enabling Silo to introduce what we intend to become the leading brand name in the functional and psychedelic mushroom category.”

Silo Wellness has been an early mover in the functional and psychedelic mushroom space and has already announced its proof of concept of a patent-pending, micro-dosing nasal spray format that this new brand partnership could potentially include.

The full line of functional mushroom products to be launched under the Marley brand will be announced in the near future along with a marketing and communications campaign, which will include targeted digital advertising, social media presence, brand public relations and lifestyle marketing initiatives.

Braille Skateboarding launches its first skate shoe with R&R Footwear

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YouTube’s leading skateboarding channel, Braille Skateboarding, has partnered with R&R Footwear to launch a new skate shoe, marking yet another brand extension for the brand that has made its move on the lifestyle and toy licensing sectors in recent months.

In a deal brokered by Semaphore Licensing Solutions, Braille Skateboarding has been working closely with R&R to develop a skate shoe that will offer skaters comfort, support, quality, and style. The shoe’s footbed has been developed to provide the wearer with a level of comfort and support while allowing them to maintain a good level of board feel.

Available in three classic color ways, black with a white sole, black with a honey sole, and grey with a white sole, the collection (available in adult men’s sizes only) will be rolled out to the US and UK in early summer. Braille Skateboarding founder, Aaron Kyro will be autographing the shoe boxes of the first 1,000 pre-orders.

“This footwear launch symbolizes Aaron’s devotion to developing the best products for skateboarders of all experience levels. As a hobby turned official Olympic Sport, skateboarding as a category has rolled into the spotlight. We couldn’t be more excited for both Aaron and Braille as we help execute their mission to get the entire world skateboarding,” said Michael Bienstock, founder and CEO, Semaphore Licensing Solutions.

Nick Smith, head of sales and marketing, R&R Footwear, added: “R&R Footwear develops and manufactures high-quality footwear for a range of global brands. Braille’s commitment to design, develop and deliver a high-performing skate shoe has been equivalent to what we see from professional footwear teams from around the World and we’re delighted to see Braille’s dreams of creating their own range of skate shoes become a reality.

“The future looks incredible bright for Braille Skateboarding and we’re proud to be a part of their journey.”

Laura Ashley secures home furnishings partnership with Ashley Wilde

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The home and lifestyle brand, Laura Ashley, has secured a new soft furnishings partnership with the global textiles specialist, Ashley Wilde. Under the deal, the British fabric company will provide all soft furnishings for the Laura Ashley home collection.

Established in 1950, Ashley Wilde Group, has a rich heritage in the textiles business and attributes its longstanding success to design, style, service and innovation.

The Laura Ashley home collection will be available at Next and is launching in spring this year. It will include bed linen, ready-made curtains, made-to-measure curtains and blinds, cushions, throws, bath towels, and mats.

The new collection will see the return of signature Laura Ashley prints alongside a range of modern florals and vintage inspired botanicals.

Simon Brodin, managing director at Ashley Wilde Group, said:”Our new relationship with Laura Ashley marks the beginning of a very exciting collaboration for Ashley Wilde; our brands share so much in terms of heritage and quality.

“It is a pleasure to work with the stunning prints that Laura Ashley is famous for and bring them to life through soft furnishings for the home. This collaborative collection is something we are very proud of.”

Poppy Marshall-Lawton, head of brand and partnerships at Laura Ashley, added: “Ashley Wilde was the perfect choice of partner to relaunch the Laura Ashley soft furnishing collections.  They have a fantastic design ethos and many years of experience creating beautiful product ranges for other leading interior and designer brands.”

Sesame Street becomes first brand to launch on Blank Slate platform as artists recreate iconic characters

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Sesame Street has become the first brand to launch as part of a new platform curated by Champion Athleticwear and Foot Locker that taps notable creators to bring exclusive collaborations to life.

Called Blank Slate, the platform will make its debut with the launch of a limited edition collection of styles based on Sesame Street’s iconic characters, brought to life by the artists Jason Freeny and Naturel.

This week, the Jason Freeny collaboration debuts with adult t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, and pants featuring Cookie Monster, The Count, Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, and Elmo. Freeny, a New York-based sculptor, is known for his anatomical character dissections.

Meanwhile, the first Blank Slate drop with adult Sesame Street t-shirts and hoodies was released in December and designed by contemporary artist Naturel, a Maryland native who draws inspiration from pop art, cubism, and surrealism.

“Sesame Street is a multi-generational brand, and we are always looking for new and unique ways to create inspired products for our adult fans,” said Kerri Estreich, senior director, licensing, Sesame Workshop. “We love the stylization that Jason Freeny and Naturel bring to the table. They offer fun, dynamic, yet very different models for how the Sesame Street characters can be creatively interpreted while remaining true to our brand essence.”

Matt Waterman, general manager, Champion North America, added: “We are excited about the launch of the Sesame Street Jason Freeny Collection. Champion is the perfect canvas to bring together iconic partnerships like Sesame Street and artists in a creative way. Freeny’s creative designs for this collection are fun and unique to appeal to Champion and Sesame Street fans.”

The Jason Freeny program is Champion’s third release with Sesame Street to date.

Care Bears adult licensing roster continues to grow as Somerbond lands ladies’ nightwear

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CloudCo’s heritage children’s animation, Care Bears is continuing to expand its licensing portfolio thanks to a new partnership with the ladies’ nightwear specialist, Somerbond.

The partnership is the latest in a recent flurry of licensing activity and licensees secured by the property’s European licensing agency, Bulldog Licensing. The brand has experienced strong sales across its adult offering recently, following collaborations with Dolls Kill, Irregular Choice, Tikiboo, and Bershka.

Bulldog licensing continues to roll out a cross-category programme for the much-loved brand, featuring apparel, accessories and home. 

Meanwhile, the children’s programme is underpinned by strong ratings for the Care Bears Unlock the Magic show, airing on Pop. This content will soon be bolstered by new music videos being released by digital partner, Moonbug.

The new licensees join a robust licensing programme, including a newly launched range from Master Toy partner, Basic Fun, which has seen a strong launch in the UK, along with a number of other best in class licensees including Dennicci, Bioworld and Park Agencies.

Rob Corney, MD, Bulldog Licensing, said: “Care Bears may be nearly 40 years old, but it remains as popular as ever among generations of fans. The original fans are still embracing the brand and we’re looking forward to adding new lines with these two new partners to expand the offering for them.”