Miffy partners with BYBORRE for knitwear and accessories collection

Miffy – the iconic bunny character created by graphic artist Dick Bruna – is launching  a new limited-edition, responsibly sourced men’s knitwear and accessories range.

The collection has been created by BYBORRE, a Dutch textile innovation company committed to democratizing the textile industry by offering transparency, reliability and freedom in textile creation.

To achieve this, BYBORRE uses its award-winning software platform Create™ to allow the design, sampling and production of textiles all in one place in the company’s Amsterdam-based knitlab, or via its transparent ecosystem of suppliers. This approach means less waste and more design freedom for the company and the creators with which it collaborates.

Dick Bruna’s illustrative style – recognised worldwide – captures the essence of a character or story with just a few lines and a small range of colours.

BYBORRE has mirrored this style, producing a capsule collection of refined menswear where the simple designs play with the scale of Bruna’s artwork; some garments feature large-scale linework, others feature smaller repeat patterns, some just feature subtle imprints of Miffy’s iconic silhouette. The palette of colours, like Bruna’s, is limited.

The collection spans men’s staples such as a suit jacket, trousers and button tee, as well as key pieces that have featured in previous BYBORRE limited edition ranges but have evolved here – including an open-back vest, layer shirt and an A-type jacket.

The range also includes lifestyle accessories comprising a versatile everyday bag, a large woven blanket, a FIDLOCK equipped Keycord and a classic 5-Panel cap.

Marja Kerkhof, MD of Mercis, which manages the Miffy brand, says: “The new BYBORRE collection is an important step in the evolution of our global collections for the Miffy brand. Not only is the range responsibly produced – something we want more of our licensees to consider – but it also showcases Miffy’s design kudos and unisex appeal, together with the creative flexibility Dick Bruna’s work offers.”

Borre Akkersdijk, CCO of BYBORRE, adds: “It has been a privilege to pay homage to Dick Bruna’s art in our 10th Limited Edition. We hope it will inspire creators worldwide ‘to be part of something bigger’ by creating consciously bespoke textiles that don’t impact the planet.”

The Miffy BYBORRE limited edition range is now available from Selfridges in the UK and www.byborre.com

British fashion label Chinti & Parker launches Care Bears collection

Bulldog Licensing’s latest partner to celebrate the Care Bears’ 40th anniversary by joining the consumer products programme is luxury knitwear label Chinti & Parker.

Established in 2009, Chinti & Parker produces knitwear that celebrates joyful colour, timeless shapes and innovative textures. Now, using some of its favourite intarsia knitting techniques and intricate embroidery, Chinti & Parker brings the colourful Care Bears to life in a collection of cashmere jumpers, hoodies, sweat pants and T-shirts. The range is the latest in a line of nostalgic collaborations for the fashion label and features oversized, slouchy fits and a bold colour palette designed to keep the look cool rather than cutesy.

While the Care Bears have grown through various looks and styles over the last 40 years, the rainbow colours, main characters and unique belly badges, along with the core messages of kindness and caring, remain iconic and instantly recognisable.

Designs in the Chinti & Parker collection range from the classic Care Bears logo to the faces of characters including Grumpy Bear and Lucky Bear, as well as jumpers with Cheer Bear and Funshine Bear emerging from their pockets, and fun slogans such as ‘Good Vibes’.

Sophie Yates, Licensing Executive at Bulldog Licensing, says: “This collaboration is a great addition to the Care Bears licensing programme and clearly demonstrates the strength of the Care Bears brand. We can’t wait to see these pieces being styled and shared over the coming weeks.”

“Chinti & Parker have always been effortlessly cool and fun,” adds Roubina Tchoboian, VP of International Licensing at Cloudco Entertainment, owner of the Care Bears brand. “We’ve been a fan of their nostalgia collections for quite some time and are thrilled to see the Care Bears collection come to life as we celebrate 40 years of sharing and caring.”

The Chinti & Parker x Care Bears collection is available to buy online now at chintiandparker.com/collections/chinti-parker-x-care-bears.