TLL

In the Sogo department store in the Causeway Bay neighborhood of Hong Kong, character-licensed apparel is joined by several junior versions of luxury brands, such as this department of Armani Junior and Armani Baby apparel. The entry of high-end fashion into the young children's market is a trend in Asia and intensifies the already significant competition in the licensed … [Read more...] about High Fashion for Hong Kong Babies

20th Century Fox will produce a film based on Wizards of the Coast's Magic: The Gathering trading card game. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Simon Kinberg will produce what the studio hopes will develop into a franchise along with Hasbro, owner of Wizards of the Coast. Wizards previously attempted a film adaptation with its other major property, Dungeons & Dragons, to … [Read more...] about Magic: The Gathering: The Movie

Kate Schlomann joins HIT Entertainment in London as VP Global Brand Management. She was previously EVP Brand Management & Marketing at FremantleMedia Enterprises. … [Read more...] about Who’s News

At the Wing On department store in the Sheung Wan neighborhood of Hong Kong, bedding is one of the categories with significant licensing activity. A whole section of children's sheets features Hello Kitty, while another consists of a variety of licenses ranging from Disney's Lilo and Stitch to the Chinese property Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf (shown in photo). On the adult … [Read more...] about Licensed Bedding Is Prominent at Wing On

Suntory, the privately-held Japanese food and beverage company, is acquiring Jim Beam (which also owns Maker's Mark, among other brands), for $13.6 billion. The agreement makes Suntory the world's third largest distiller. Jim Beam is represented for licensing by Thr3e Licensing, with products in snack foods, sauces and condiments, fresh foods, grilling, and other areas. … [Read more...] about Suntory Acquires Jim Beam Brands

Cherokee is acquiring the Tony Hawk and Hawk apparel brands from Quiksilver for an all-cash price of $19 million. Quiksilver has owned the brands since 2000. Kohl's will continue to be the exclusive U.S. DTR licensee for Tony Hawk and Hawk clothing and accessories. JPMorgan Chase Bank established a new credit agreement with Cherokee to finance the purchase. Quiksilver has been … [Read more...] about Cherokee Acquires Tony Hawk Brands From Quiksilver

Fox Consumer Products adds Celestron as a partner for its upcoming Seth McFarlane-produced reboot of Carl Sagan's Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. Celestron will make connected telescopes, using iOS and Android phone/tablet apps to navigate the stars. The company will also make branded binoculars and microscopes. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, airing later this year on Fox, will be … [Read more...] about Reach For The Sky

Retail shelves in children's departments and stores across Asia are becoming increasingly crowded with characters as more local properties gain traction in their home countries and neighboring territories, according to speakers at the Asian Licensing Conference, part of this week's Hong Kong Licensing Show. One of the presenters, Claire Gilchrist of Mattel East Asia, identified … [Read more...] about Competition Intensifies in Children’s Licensing Sector in Asia

With wearable technology the talk of CES this week, The Business of Fashion's Vikram Alexei Kansara asks whether "fashion appeal alone [will] be enough to convince large numbers of consumers to wear technology on their bodies." Click here for the best report we've seen on the subject (and there were plenty courtesy of all the CES announcements, per our note yesterday re Tory … [Read more...] about Wearable Tech: Sustainable Business or The Next 3D TV?

The rise of local properties was evident at the Hong Kong Licensing Show, where popular and would-be popular entertainment/character properties from Taiwan, Hong Kong, mainland China, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and, of course, Japan, were on display. The number of Korean and mainland Chinese exhibitors in particular have an increased presence at the show this year, according to … [Read more...] about Look-alike Properties Vie For Shelf Space