Jewel Branding & Licensing (JBL) is celebrating Black History Month by launching several new projects and highlighting some of their most talented designers, illustrators, influencers and TV personalities.
The company says it’s “proud to highlight the designers and artists of color in their portfolio, including illustrators and influencers Kendra Dandy of Bouffants & Broken Hearts, and Jessi Raulet of EttaVee, as well as celebrity interior designer and TV personality, Nikki Chu.”
For their limited edition artist series, Athleta (part of Gap Inc.) joined forces with artist and designer Kendra Dandy on a fun collection of masks and t-shirts. Dandy’s art is featured on the home page of Walmart.com in celebration of Black History Month.
American Greetings has also partnered with Kendra to launch an endcap collection of greeting cards slated for release at a major national retailer later this year. Jewel says there has been international growth including new back-to-school collections with partners Vadobag, Stationary Team, Bagtrotter, Vivat, and Top Creative, all launching across Europe. Popular Dutch online kids clothing retailer, Kleertjes, is slated to launch an exclusive Bouffants kids’ clothing collection through licensee Retail Tribes, while personalized online card retailer Moonpig is refreshing Kendra’s collection of cards with some new sassy designs in the UK. Additionally, Kendra has signed with Chinese subagent Zenulla, which is working on key promotional and product opportunities in China.
Jewel says 2021 is also shaping up to be a big year for EttaVee, an art and design company founded by American-born, France-based artist, designer and social media influencer Jessi Raulet, who has become well known globally for her hand-painted, bright and bold designs.
LANG is releasing a new EttaVee collection of calendars, stationery and gift products that will be available at retailers, including Barnes & Noble and Walgreens. American Greetings has partnered with Jessi to create a collection of greeting cards that will be featured on an end-cap in a major national retailer. This summer, Fit & Fresh is launching a collection of Etta Vee lunch bags and lunch kits at key retailers in time for back-to-school. Riley Blake will release a collection of apparel fabric in collaboration with Fabric.com, and Tervis has a collection of drinkware available on Tervis.com and Target.com.
Jewel says another major announcement is coming up soonabout a brand new collaboration for EttaVee in the home space slated to launch this summer.
Finally, the home designer and host Nikki Chu (pictured above) of Aspire Network’s home show Unboxed is moving from success to success over the past year, the agency says. Chu is a Canadian-born, LA-based designer who began her career in home town Toronto, but whose profile grew even more quickly after the move to Los Angeles. The celebrity interior designer has worked with stars such as Tyra Banks, Nick Cannon, Lisa Leslie and Gabrielle Union, and has successfully built out her own brand with a home products line consisting of fashion bedding, basic bedding, pillows, rugs, throws, paint, wall art, and decorative accents.
Chu has also had her interiors photographed by Instyle & People magazine, and was called upon to design Sasha and Malia Obama’s “model” White House bedroom for an on-air special with Access Hollywood after President Obama was elected. Nikki has also appeared on several networks such as; VH1, HGTV, Fine Living, Oxygen, Local New Stations, Lifetime, and E! Entertainment as their go-to expert for design.
Jewel says Chu has recently launched a new collection of home products exclusively through Walmart.com, and York Wallcoverings has been recently signed to develop a unique collection of peel & stick wallpaper, slated to launch later this year. Additionally, Nikki recently signed with a leading home décor partner and will be introducing home décor accessories and accent furniture later this year. Nikki’s wall art continues to sell out at all major retailers, and most recently she was profiled on FineArtCanvas.com.
“I feel fortunate to be partnered with Jewel Branding & Licensing because they understand the importance of highlighting a diverse portfolio of designers,” said Chu. “The success of my line has been years in the making and I’m thrilled that retailers and consumers are committed to amplifying black female designers like me.”