State of the Nation: Brands

Inset: Ne

As 2023 begins, the brand and lifestyle sector is looking to further build its market share in the overall licensing business – and there is a host of activity to look forward to. From new entrants to the space, through to major milestone anniversaries, high profile exhibitions and international success, LSB rounds up some recent highlights.

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Inset: The move into product opens up a wide range of categories for Clean Kitchen Club. Below: The Falke x Haribo collection includes five designs.

Clean Kitchen Club eyes licensing

Fast growing and disruptive plant-based food brand, Clean Kitchen Club is looking to explore licensed consumer products - appointing The Point.1888 as its new agent.

Co-founded by Verity Bowditch and Mikey Pearce in 2020, the brand is on a mission to transform the plantbased industry as we know it, taking fully sustainable plant-based food and carbon-neutral packaging to a mainstream audience.

The ever-expanding menu contains a range of burgers, bowls, salads, wraps and desserts. It has enjoyed strong success over the last two years, with over five sites already open and plans for more in 2023. Verity and Mikey also completed a funding round last year with the monies raised being used to fund other brand development plans.

The move into product meanwhile opens up the possibility of snacking, ready meals, grab & go items in supermarkets, as well as opportunities to explore other FMCG products, clothing, publishing, events and more.

Verity Bowditch, co-founder of Clean Kitchen Club, said: “To be able to nail going into other sectors we needed experts in their field alongside us. The Point.1888 is our chosen partner to take the retail world by storm.”

Haribo and Falke team on sustainable sock range

Falke has collaborated with confectionery brand Haribo to launch a sustainable sock collection. The deal was brokered by IMG, Haribo’s global licensing partner. The joint collection features the sustainable Falke Family socks in five different colourways with cheerful Haribo embroidery motifs. The range includes black and white socks for men and women, as well as white and dark blue socks for children, which feature the original Haribo Goldbear wearing the red bow. The embroidery design and the three additional colours are adapted to the look of the eyecatching Goldbears. In addition to the embroidered socks, a ‘Design Your Own’ white pair of socks is also available with Goldbear’s print and textile pens for children to unleash their creativity.

Sweet deals for Fruit-tella

Licensing Matters Global has secured a number of new deals for Perfetti Van Melle’s Fruit-tella brand, with a focus on the UK and Benelux markets.

Amber House has developed a range of fruity lip balms – available in Primark and marketed to consumers as the ‘Read My Lips’ range, it has already sold over 300,000 units.

Meanwhile, Imagine8 delivered a range exclusively for Claire’s Accessories, which was available in its 500+ UK stores from Q3 2022. The collection will be further expanded with scented plush toys in Q2 2023.

Finally, health and beauty specialist Crackerjack (UK) is developing an assortment of bath fizzers and sponge gift sets for Q4 2023. The products will be reminiscent of the Fruit-tella signature fragrances.

Laura Ashley brand ready to mark 70 years

Home and lifestyle brand, Laura Ashley is celebrating its platinum anniversary, following a bumper year that saw its UK retail value increase by 27%.

The rise is down to continued expansion into new retail outlets such as John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and with upholstery now available at DFS.

The brand has also expanded into new product categories including electronics, as well as extended distribution with 600 UK retailers stocking Laura Ashley products, while continuing its long-standing relationship with Next.

The brand now has multiple dedicated UK licensees and a product portfolio close to 3,000 skus. As it celebrates seven decades, its collection is set to grow as it enters new product categories, from craft to pet accessories. It is also bolstering its presence in the lifestyle category with new season product ranges in development, including new fitted kitchen ranges and new gardening ranges launching in spring.

The anniversary year will also see the brand unveil an exclusive collection with Mamas and Papas, which has been developed for the anniversary.

It will also extend its retail footprint worldwide, entering new markets including Australia with home textiles, childrenswear and a womenswear collaboration.

The anniversary product collection and exclusive collaborations will carry the brand’s anniversary stamp.

Above: Laura Ashley is celebrating seven decades in 2023.

Beanstalk extends with Cath Kidston in the US

Building on its initial partnership in Europe, Beanstalk has expanded its exclusive licensing representation agreement with Cath Kidston into the US market. The British lifestyle brand has been enjoying strong demand in the US. Recent collaborations and limited edition ranges, such as the Jubilee range launched to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Cath

Kidston x Great British Bake Off,

and last season’s Christmas range have all achieved Inset: Cath Kidston’s record demand Jubilee range was a hit with US with American consumers last year. customers. Since first partnering with Cath Kidston in January of 2022, Beanstalk has already brokered a number of licensing agreements for the European market in categories including home, fashion, accessories and gifting. The growing number of licensees includes Moonpig, with an assortment of flower bouquets inspired by Cath Kidston prints, and Gola, which recently partnered with the brand to bring its hand-painted prints to footwear. Beanstalk will look to expand Cath Kidston’s consumer product offering in these categories and more with new partnerships in the US.

V&A continues its strong growth in China

V&A continued to experience strong growth in China throughout 2022, with the launch of nine new collaborations in fashion, childrenswear and home goods.

The V&A’s Tmall flagship store also now features over 200 new and unique products.

Licensees have access to rich content from the archive including work by Art Nouveau illustrator Alphonse Mucha and the sketches by Victorian artist, Sir John Tenniel. The latter’s illustrations for Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll have proven popular as the V&A’s exhibition Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser tours East Asia.

Alice’s creative curiosity is reflected in the V&A’s collaboration with Mido House. Presented in detailed embroidery on high-count cotton fabric are Alice, as well as the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, playing cards, teacups and other elements she meets along her adventures.

AMIRO and the V&A joined forces to create a fusion of art and technology with the Alice in Wonderland themed ‘Find the Light’ gift box. The first range sold out, with a second to follow.

Inspired by a selection of Art Nouveau work from the V&A’s collection, statement pieces from Hopeshow focus on decoration from the 1897 portfolio ‘L’Animal dans la Décoration’ by the French artists Maurice Pillard Verneuil and Eugène Samuel Grasset. The range was sold online, in stores and promoted through a dedicated V&A pop-up store in Beijing.

Finally, the Mucha series of fashion jewellery is inspired by details of the intricate headdress adorning a woman’s hair in a poster by Alphonse Mucha.

Full bloom for Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum has joined forces with sustainable flower delivery company Arena Flowers to Above: The bouquet develop a unique floral bouquet features seven blooms that has been inspired by the representing seven unique gemstones. Museum’s mineral collection. The bouquet – named ‘Gemmae’ – was inspired by a selection of the 5,000 gemstones that form part of the Museum’s comprehensive mineral collection, which also includes meteorites, rocks and ores.

Historical artworks from the Museum’s archives also influenced the new bouquet, which features seven blooms representing seven unique gemstones.

From the vibrant pinks of tourmaline, represented by the ‘Country Blues’ rose, to the watery blue/greens of Aquamarine, mirrored by the pale blue delphiniums, the Gemmae bouquet features unique stems, each resembling a mineral.

“We are delighted to be working with the team at Arena Flowers, who ensure that sustainability is at the heart of everything they do,” commented Maxine Lister, head of licensing at Natural History Museum. “It has been a real pleasure exploring the Museum’s stunning mineral collection to bring this idea to life.”.

TfL scores with Arsenal

Arsenal Football Club has teamed up once again with Transport for London on a collection of apparel and accessories celebrating 90 years together on the London Underground.

The deal was brokered by TSBA Group. The range celebrates and is inspired by Arsenal station following its name change from Gillespie Road on 31 October 1932. It includes loungewear, nightwear and babywear along with accessories such as a blanket, scarf, wallet and water bottle. It features the iconic roundel and the emblematic Barman moquette seat pattern which appears on Piccadilly line trains that serve Arsenal station.

The pattern also featured on the adidas x Arsenal x TfL pre-match range that the Arsenal team wore last season.

“It is wonderful to be continuing the collaboration with Arsenal with this new collection,” commented Ellen Sankey, brand licensing manager at TfL.

Dr. Martens teams with The Met

Dr. Martens has joined forces with The Met on a new creative collaboration inspired by Katsushika Hokusai’s

’36 Views of Mount

Fuji’ series.

The deal was brokered by Beanstalk and celebrates a fresh take on the Japanese artist through footwear.

The collection consists of three pieces – The Met 1460 boot, 1461 shoe and The Met backpack.

Created in the 1830s, Katsushika Hokusai defied geographical borders and boundaries as his artistry allowed others to be able to view the wonders of the world they could not otherwise.

The Met 1460 Boot bears an illustration of The Great Wave, honouring one of the most recognisable pieces of Japanese art; the 1461 shoe features the Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tokaido, depicting a picnic gathering underneath a bountiful cherry blossom at Gotenyama; while The Met backpack also features The Great Wave print..

Above: The new collection consists of three pieces.

Crown to Couture set to shine

The glittering world of the Georgian court will come head-to-head with the high glamour of the modern-day red carpet in a new exhibition at Kensington Palace.

Crown to Couture will see contemporary couture worn by celebrities including Lizzo and Lady Gaga, displayed alongside historic costume – drawing parallels between the world of the red carpet and the world of the Royal Court in the 18th century.

Set to be the largest exhibition ever staged at the palace, over 200 objects will be going on display across the glittering State Apartments and intimate rooms. Among the objects will be examples of some of Historic Royal Palace’s own collection – the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. Highlights will include the Rockingham Mantua, brocaded in silver thread and silver lace trim and believed to have been worn by the wife of British Prime Minister, the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, in the 1760s.

“To showcase these beautiful garments in such a lavish setting provides an excellent opportunity for licensees across multiple categories including fashion, homewares, stationery and tabletop, to see and be inspired by the exquisite 18th century dress on display,” commented Alareen Farrell, head of buying,

merchandising, licensing and publishing at Historic

Royal Palaces.

Crown to Couture will open on 5 April and will run until 29 October 2023.