Universally stylish

NBCUniversal has long been at the forefront in fashion licensing, with its blockbuster and classic properties – from Minions to Monsters – providing an endless source of inspiration for designers. Total Licensing takes a closer look at its latest fashion collabs, and at how the company stays at the cutting edge of an ever-evolving industry

The partnership between fashion and celluloid goes back a long way. The film industry in the 1930s and ’40s used couture to “sell” movies, enticing viewers to cinemas to see the latest designer gowns as worn by their favourite starlets. Later, in the 1960s and ’70s, fashion companies came to realise that using movie and pop culture iconography offered a powerful way to grow brand awareness, and fashion licensing as we know it was born.

“Movies and fashion have always been natural partners,” says Marc Low, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Global Lifestyle at NBCUniversal, “but that partnership has evolved over the years and become far more sophisticated. It used to be about slapping logos on t-shirts. Today – for us at least – it’s about choosing our partners carefully and working closely to produce ranges that put fashion first. We want these collaborations to resonate with consumers and bring them joy, whether they’re indulging in a “nostalgia moment” or simply declaring their fandom of a movie or TV show.”

Apparel remains one of NBCUniversal’s strongest licensing categories. The company has worked with high-end designers and luxury brands, mid- and mass-market retailers, independent fashion houses and streetwear brands that TikTokers and celebs love, throughout North America, EMEA and Asia. “The fact that we have such a wide reach is testament to the cultural resonance and the sheer scale of our portfolio of entertainment properties, which stretches back more than 100 years,” says Marc. “Our brands are popular globally, and we have a wealth of experience in bringing successful fashion collaborations to market, from initial conception to retail.” The release of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World Dominion this summer saw a host of dinosaur-inspired fashion collections taking over the stores. Pop culture retailer Hot Topic dropped

an extensive range of casualwear and accessories paying homage to the Jurassic franchise, including a first-ever collection with female-fan apparel company, Her Universe; U.S. swimwear retailer Chubbies produced a bold and bright collection of men’s dino-branded swimwear; while in the kidswear sector, Copenhagen-based Molo unveiled a Jurassic World capsule collection that brings the movie’s spectacular dinosaurs vividly to life on T-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, hoodies, bomber jackets and more. Meanwhile, it was announced that Reebok’s earlier Jurassic Park-inspired footwear and apparel collection from last year had been nominated for Best Licensed Collaboration at the 2022 Licensing International’s Excellence Awards – Reebok’s Dominion-inspired collection just launched in August.

“The Jurassic World franchise is globally recognised, and it appeals to all ages,” says Marc. “The original Jurassic Park was watched by today’s adults when they were kids, and they still exert a strong emotional pull. Now their kids are watching the original movies as well as the Jurassic World movies, and we’ve also extended the franchise with animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, which means the brand is drawing in new fans around the world all the time. From a fashion licensing point of view, the opportuni-

ties are constantly evolving, which is very exciting.”

Summer’s other smash hit, Universal Pictures and Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, also captured designers’ imaginations. Stand-out fashion

moments included Lyrical Lemonade’s Minions collection of letterman’s jackets, tees, hoodies, scarves and accessories – selling out in mere seconds of release, and Japanese graphic artist Verdy’s second Minions capsule collection, featuring his signature VICK character alongside the mischievous Minions on skateboards, hoodies, caps, T-shirts and more – selling out within 24 hours. Blockbusters may guarantee headlines, but NBCUniversal’s Vault, the home of its classic properties across film and TV for more than 100 years, has also long been a treasure trove for designers seeking inspiration. Felix the Cat, the first-ever animated movie star, was the star of a recent collegiate-inspired collection from Levi’s, appearing on vintage-style preppy pieces including rugby shirts and varsity jackets. Similarly, heritage comic-book character Hot Stuff: The Little Devil has been made the star of a contemporary streetwear collection from California-based Broken Promises, a brand beloved of celebs including Miley Cyrus, Machine Gun Kelly and Wiz Khalifa.

“Our partners come back again and again for repeat collections, and work with multiple NBCUniversal properties,” explains Marc. Japanese label Milkboy, for example, has paid fashion homage to both Good Luck Trolls and Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainmen’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; South Korean brand OIOI has produced an E.T. range and earlier collections for Felix the Cat, Richie Rich, Hot Stuff and Casper the Friendly Ghost; Hype has released ranges based on Back to the Future and the Jurassic World franchise, while Singaporebased Urban Revivo has created designs for a multitude of UBD properties, including Kung-Fu Panda, Minions, and Woody Woodpecker. At the luxury end of the market, Jeremy Scott has designed

a Good Luck Trolls capsule collection for Moschino as well as a horrorthemed Moschino resort collection that took place at the Universal Studios Hollywood Backlot revealing pieces inspired by Dracula, The Mum-

my and other Universal Classic Monsters. But perhaps the ultimate homage to NBCUniversal’s storied history came from Gucci in its Love Parade collection, which featured key pieces emblazoned with the classic ‘Universal Studios Hollywood’ logo, including a crystal cotton sweatshirt and crystal embroidered denim jacket.

“Universal has an incredible history, certainly,” concludes Marc, “but we’re constantly innovating, continually creating – and that’s equally true of the fashion industry. It’s about celebrating the past while looking to the future, and we think we’ve got the balance just right.”