June 2020
TOTAL Art
June 2020
June 2020 Co-Publisher Francesca Ash francesca@totallicensing.com Co-Publisher Jerry Wooldridge jerry@totallicensing.com
Licensing
Welcome to the June online issue of Total Art Licensing. We are, without doubt, living through very strange times. Most people in our industry have been at home or working from home and we are publishing this extra edition of Total Art Licensing to give a voice to the industry and help it through these difficult times. Trade shows, where many of us would meet, have been cancelled or postponed. Blue Print, originally intended for New York in May went online and, such was the success, that a further online show will be held in July. Licensing Expo in Vegas was postponed from May to August and then cancelled for 2020 although Licensing Expo Virtual will take place online shortly. PG Live moved from June to August and was then postponed as the pandemic continued around the world and there are mutterings as to whether Brand Licensing Europe, scheduled for early October will take place. It just requires all of us to get used to the new ‘normal’ of meeting and doing business online. For the art licensing industry, that really isn’t anything new. Potential clients can view and talk about artwork that would fit their product range. And as retail gradually reopens around the world, hopefully this will encourage buyers to show increased interest in what’s on offer. We want to wish all our readers a happy and healthy Summer.The next issue of Total Art Licensing – again digital – will be available in August.We look forward to working with you. Francesca Ash, Co-Publisher
Jerry Wooldridge, Co-Publisher
Editorial Director Rebecca Ash becky@totallicensing.com Business Development Manager Joanna Cassidy joanna@totallicensing.com
In the Spotlight
Office Manager Helen Bowerman helen@totallicensing.com
Blue Print Live set for July.......................... 5
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Van Gogh Museum..................................... 14
JQ Licensing latest....................................... 8 The World of Howard Robinson............ 10 Art Ask latest brands................................ 16 Art Licensing news.................................... 16 National Gallery in China........................ 18
TOTAL LICENSING LTD 4 Wadhurst Business Park Faircrouch Lane, Wadhurst East Sussex TN5 6PT, England Tel: +44 (0) 1892 782220 Fax: +44 (0) 1892 782226 www.totallicensing.com © 2020 Total Licensing Ltd Total Art Licensing is published twice each year. All illustrations and images are reproduced by permission of their owners.
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This is Iris..................................................... 20 V&A expands in East Asia......................... 22 Creativity in unpredictable times........... 23 Total Art Galleries...................................... 24
Advertisers Andrea Turk .................................................................... 24 Art House Design ......................................................... 27 Artistic Designs ................................................................7 Bentley Licensing ..............................................................5 Blue Print Live ............................................................... 31 Business of Licensing .................................................... 19 China Licensing Expo ................................................... 15 Elizabeth Stirling ............................................................ 25 Howard Robinson ...........................................................1 Image by Design ............................................................ 25 JQ Licensing ......................................................................9
Kayomi Harai ................................................................. 27 Leeza Works .................................................................. 25 Lemonade ..........................................................................3 Licensing International ....................................................2 London Portfolio .......................................................... 28 Margaux & Izzy .............................................................. 28 This is Iris ....................................................................... 32 Total Licensing ............................................................... 29 Wild Apple Licensing .................................................... 26 Zolan Agency ................................................................. 26 List correct at time of going to press.
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BLUE PRINT LIVE Back at the end of April, when most of the world was under a lockdown, a group of artists thought it would be a nice idea to make the Blue Print show happen online.They wanted to reach out to friends and clients that would normally come to Blue Print in May! At the time many of them were isolated and working from home so they hoped the online event might bring a few people together again. The way the live event was set up worked very well, and made it easy for clients to book online meetings with their chosen exhibitors. Most of the artists had several meetings over the three days and as a result of the success of the first event a second Blue Print Live event will be held on 28 – 30 July 2020. The page will go live to view and make appointments from the 20 July.
The next live page is being updated in a new format, and will have a different URL: www.blue-print-live.blogspot.com or
https://tinyurl.com/y9zqn2tl Blue Print opens for qualified buyers and clients to register on the 20 July 2020.
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SPREADING SOME HAPPINESS! Nobody could have guessed how, within a few short months, all our lives would be turned upside down by a global pandemic. It has been a time of great anxiety, not knowing when or how it will end and trying to plan for a future that is impossible to predict. It has forced all of us to adapt and to find new ways of working that enable us to continue to be creative and to connect with our clients no matter where they are in the world. As a small design studio with a close-knit team of artists Elizabeth Stirling Designs Ltd is used to working remotely; however it has proved more important than ever to keep in regular contact to ensure that each person working in isolation feels supported. As Gillian Stirling explained, “For our business, happiness is essential to creativity so chats on zoom over a cup of tea have become a great way to check-in with each other and have helped maintain a positive team spirit. There has been a real feeling of ‘we are all in this together’ and a tremendous effort on the part of all the designers to ensure that our collection of seasonal designs is refreshed and ready for when our clients need great new artwork. Until the day that we can be together again I will be at the studio each day with my two trusted companions, Alfie, the terrier, and Moggie, the very old tortoise. If you would like to meet the four legged ‘team’ and to arrange an online presentation please contact gillian@estirlingdesign.com.
MARGAUX & IZZY Margaux & Izzy, creates stunning surface and textile collections, for home decor, apparel and stationery/gift markets. Owner and artist, Liz O’Brien, sells, licenses and welcomes commissions. Her versatile style emcompasses acrylic painting as well as beautiful lush watercolor. With over 28 years of experience in the creative industry as an art director and product developer, Liz has sold successful designs for manufacturers selling to clients such as Pier One, Target, Macy’s, TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Joann Fabrics, American Girl, Nordstrom, Bed Bath & Beyond and Indigo Stores as well as designing products for boutique lines such as Papyrus, Mara-Mi and Vivian Claire. Areas of Expertise include: product ideation, product development, surface design, illustration, painting, pattern development, packaging, trend/ mood board creation, and presentation. Liz expresses her passion for print and pattern creating fun and fresh designs in her studio at home in Minnesota.
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LONDON PORTFOLIO London Portfolio continues to be present for customers and their needs during the industry changes due to the pandemic. Despite the cancellation of the spring print shows, they are always available to meet via zoom at a client’s convenience. They are still focused on creating new designs for current and future trends and remain hopeful. They plan to see customers at the next virtual Blueprint show which will be July 28th-30th and we will look forward to seeing everybody again as soon as possible !
1-800-FLOWERS AND JASON WU 1-800-Flowers.com created an augmented reality (AR) experience for customers as part of its collaboration with fashion designer Jason Wu on a line of bouquets.The Jason Wu for Wild Beauty collection of five bouquets is available from the flower and gift delivery service nationwide. The AR experience is available on the 1-800-Flowers website, which lets mobile users see a 3D digital overlay of the bouquets on their real surroundings. Shoppers who have Apple Pay-enabled devices can seamlessly check out and pay within the AR experience. Each bouquet has a custom tag with a QR code to scan with a smartphone camera and activate the content, which includes behind-the-scenes footage of the photo shoot for the Wild Beauty collection and the designer’s runway show at New York Fashion Week. People who scan the QR codes also can instantly send a digital “thank you” note to the sender of the bouquet, per the announcement.
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WOODMANSTERNE LICENSE FRED Award-winning animation studio and rights owner Factory, has recently announced a brand new licensing partnership with greeting cards publisher Woodmansterne, for its comical, much-loved Rupert Fawcett cartoon property Fred. The Fred cartoons, which are just as engaging now as they were 30 years ago, follow the surreal world of Fred and his wife Penelope, as they live a life of curious domestic bliss, graced with their ever-present black cat, Anthony. The new range of Fred greeting cards, which are in colour for the very first time, are packed full of charming scenarios, from sneaky Sunday afternoon naps to disastrous DIY, socially awkward situations with the neighbours, and relatable relationship dramas. Woodmansterne has launched an initial range of 12 greeting cards which are available to buy in John Lewis and independent card/gift shops. More designs including special occasions, birthday and Christmas cards will be launched this year. Fred was first created by British cartoonist and writer Rupert Fawcett in 1989 and went on to become a cultural phenomenon after it was published in the Mid Week Newspaper (1990-
1992) and The Mail on Sunday (1991-1995).The success led to over 800 different cartoons being created and sales of over 9 million greetings cards in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, plus a bestselling range of merchandise, including 17 books. On signing the new deal, Anya Hollis, Head of Brand Licensing at Factory Rights said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be working with Woodmansterne in producing, for the first time, a range of coloured Fred cards. Fred has been a long-standing household favourite for 30 years and it’s great to be able to share the cartoons with fans both old and new. We look forward to building the Fred merchandise range with new partners over the coming months and having a lot of fun in the process!” Ian Blake, Art Director at Woodmansterne said: “We are already great fans of Fred and Penelope and following on from our existing Rupert Fawcett ranges, Off the Leash and On The Prowl, we are delighted to have the opportunity to publish this range.” He adds: “We have introduced colour to the images for the first time ever, knowing it would resonate well with our customers. Rupert is
over the moon with the addition and how they have brought these charming characters to life, making the range feel new and contemporary. They have just launched and are proving to be an instant success!” As well as Fred, Factory Rights manages the rights to a number of properties and art created by David McKee including Mr Benn, King Rollo, Victor & Maria, and Watt The Devil; also Towser and the particularly strong Rupert Fawcett cartoons, including Off the Leash, On the Prowl and Daddy.
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a Van Gogh Museum homewares collection comprising ceramic collector plates, mugs, trinket boxes, aprons, tea towels and drinking glasses for the UK and Eire. The initial launch plan will target online retailers of mid to highend gifts. The new licensees join existing UK partners including The Collective, Wooden Postcard Company and Ecoffee Cup with Licensing Link Europe continuing to target additional categories such as fashion collaborations, accessories and food gifting. Taday from Licensing Link Europe, based in London, is Chris continuing to grow the licensing programme Licensing Link Europe for the Van Gogh Museum, securing deals with said, “We are all super excited about our new three new partners across key categories. licensing partners and Blueprint Collections will create a range of look forward to seeing stationery, gifts and selected homewares for their ranges launch, then EMEA. Due to launch for autumn/winter 2020, expand at retail over the the products – which will be focused on mid coming year. With such to high-end retailers – will feature iconic art a comprehensive asset including Sunflowers, Almond Blossom and Self base and the provenance Portrait with Pipe and Straw Hat, combined associated with Vincent’s work available, we anticipate some beautifully designed and with Van Gogh’s handwritten letters. executed product coming through. With more licensing partnerships to be announced in the coming months, the immediate future for the Museum is looking very bright”. With more than two hundred paintings, nearly five hundred drawings and in excess of seven hundred letters, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is home to the world’s largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh. Last year, the Van Gogh Museum welcomed more than two million visitors from all around the world. Their mission is to enrich and inspire as many people as possible with the life and work of Vincent van Gogh, both inside and outside of the museum’s walls. Signare has been signed up to create a range of tapestry bags and accessories, with the aim to launch for spring/summer 2021 at Spring Fair in Birmingham. As well as high street and online retailers, the company will also be targeting TV shopping channels with the products. Finally, Bespoke 77 Innovations is on board for
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On a different note, the Van Gogh Museum has appointed IMG as its exclusive licensing representative for North and South America, the Middle East, Africa and China.
“IMG enables us, through collaborations, to reach out to people all over the world who have a personal connection with the museum and the artist, and to reach those who don’t have this kind of connection yet,” says Laurine van Rooijen, licensing and wholesale head, The Van Gogh Museum. “We hope that together with IMG we can inspire people with stories about Van Gogh and show them there might be a link between him and their own personal lives. This contributes to our mission to make Van Gogh’s life and work accessible to as diverse a group of people as possible, to enrich and inspire them. It also contributes to the management and preservation of Van Gogh’s heritage for future generations.” IMG plans to extend Van Gogh’s portfolio of art through brand collaborations in areas such as clothing, fashion accessories, home decor, cosmetics, fine stationery, gifting and collectibles. The agency is looking to work with brands ranging from luxury labels to youth-oriented fast fashion retailers, as well as products such as high-end white goods, consumer electronics and kitchen appliances.
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ART ASK GROW PROGRAMS FOR TVBOY AND FOR IA LONDON Art Ask Agency report that Urban Street artist TVBOY has launched his first apparel at Zara Men, Inditex Group. In their clothing line of Care for Fiber 100% ecologically grown cotton, Zara have licensed TVBOY’s Vincent Selfie artwork to create a contemporary fashion piece. Initial stock has flown despite Zara stores being closed and sales only possible online. “The street is my museum and my playground. Society is my inspiration. I like to add some sarcasm and some provocation and then see people’s reactions” said TVBOY. Postponed due to COVID 19 but soon to be launched in June, is TVBOY’s book “The Street is my Museum” by publisher Planeta. With sections on Hipsters, Celebrities, Activism and Politics, it tells a great story of TVBOY’s street art around the world. TVBOY has high visibility on social media, @ Tvboy, and in the press which gives him a direct line to fans and a window to share his artwork with the general public. His work is always current and reflects the situation of today, as in his recent work paying homage to health workers, named “Our Guardian Angels”. TVBOY is the artistic name of an Italian artist born in Palermo on July 16, 1980. His activity is based in Barcelona where he moved in 2004 and where he founded his movement Urban Pop Art. TVBOY’s style is significantly influenced by the American Pop Art movement, in particular by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtestein and Keith
Haring, together with Italian art, through the works of Mario Schifano. His latest series Modern Classics portrays iconic wellknown artworks giving them an artistic treatment and transforming them with a sense of irony and sarcasm. TVBOY creates beautiful, funny as well as provocative cynical and occasionally politically incorrect images. On a different note, Barcelona based Art Ask Agency, is very excited to share the news on the licensed products debut for IA London – The Art of Fashion. IA London is an award winning Avantgarde fashion brand and one of the most exciting emerging talents of the London fashion scene. The license was first launched at BLE 2019 with great reactions. A large collection of licensed art prints in partnership with Rosenstiels immediately placed in their Deluxe Collection range has been very well received by buyers. There are over 10 pieces of very distinctive and commercial artworks in the collections from IA London’s AW 2019 and SS 2019 runway pieces, giving buyers a fresh offer of up-to-the-minute trend images from the world of fashion. Flame Tree Publishing have launched the 2021 calendars and two deluxe foil notebooks from the Symptoms of Gravity line of the IA London license. Pre-sales have gone very well and plans for the 2022 calendar are already underway. “IA London’s vision is the one of clothing as a first-hand way for the individuals to express their unique point of view through art. Looking to expand this vision beyond the world of fashion, we teamed up with internationally established licensing agency, Art Ask Agency. I’m confident that this partnership will globally establish IA London artworks’ high value in its own right.” said Ira Iceberg, IA London Founder and designer.
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Rosenstiels is one of the World’s leading Publishers of Fine Art Prints and Posters, supplying to a wide variety of trade customers in over 100 countries around the world. Since its foundation in London (1880) by Felix Rosenstiel, each successive generation of Felix’s family has assumed control of the company, with a continuing commitment to quality, service and integrity. Over the years, their reliability and dedication to quality has won them many prestigious awards and they are rapidly approaching our 140th anniversary in the art industry. Established in 1992, Flame Tree Publishing is an independent publisher of books, calendars and other stationery items, based in Fulham, London, United Kingdom with an editorial office in New York. It focuses on art, music, lifestyle and fiction categories. Flame Tree creates content in the form of paper printed encyclopedias, guides and practical books and publishes them in different book, gift, stationery and digital markets worldwide. It has a number of license arrangements with museums, galleries and other licensors, including Tate,V&A and the Royal Academy of Arts. The original artworks, hand-painted digitally by the Brand’s founder Ira Iceberg, become the surface of IA London’s garments and define their distinctive appearance. IA London’s Runways shows and presentations at London and Paris Fashion Weeks attract attention of the Global press and public with exquisite garments and accessories, ethically manufactured in the U.K. IA London won the Fashion Scout UK Ones To Watch Award SS20.
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NATURE’S INSPIRATIONS AWAKEN THE DESIRES... Art with a sense of purpose, originality, and creativity takes on more importance in our evolving world to inspire beauty and awareness to life, to home and to social projects supporting our planet. Zolan Agency’s newest Design Partner,YU.ME Design and Development, brings a vibrant, crisp, fresh look to the world of Nature and Floral design at a time when people are seeking beauty, inspiration, happiness and comfort. YU.ME was founded in Florence, Italy in 2016 by two visionary women in a small studio on the Arno River. With 20 years‘ experience in art, fashion, product design and product development, the Artists decided to create and design their own brand, YU.ME, which in Japanese means to dream (YUME). Inspired by the rich tradition of Italian art and design, the hand painted watercolors take us to dreamlike places where nature’s beauty expands in its simplest form through the brushstrokes of Florentine artist,Valentina, connecting people back to nature and all its wonder. What makes a YU.ME collection unique and original is their rich experience of Italian design heritage combined with their team’s extensive knowledge in product design with a contemporary approach. YU.ME with its nature focused designs and design philosophy of living in harmony with the planet delicately blends the colors of nature’s palette into amazing patterns and designs licensable for most product categories including children’s books. New licenses for YU.ME include back to school, and apparel, diaries, garden journals, and pop sockets via Merch Management on Amazon. Licensing opportunities are available in all categories. For licensing inquiries and projects to support social causes, please contact, Jennifer Zolan, Zolan Licensing Agency at +1.203.300.3290 (USA) or +39 366 2317118 (Italy). @zolanagency. www.zolanagency.com
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NEW ARTISTS FOR WILD APPLE Wild Apple Graphics is proud to announce they have signed artists Nancy Green and Megan Gallagher to create new art collections for global audiences. “We are pleased to have signed Nancy Green and Megan Gallagher,” says John Chester, co-owner of Wild Apple. “Their incredible art and creativity are an invaluable addition to our market offerings.” Wild Apple has released new art from both artists, available for both wall decor and art licensing. As the daughter and granddaughter of Boston interior decorators, Nancy Green grew up imagining that a matching set of luggage looked like a pair of rope-handled textile sample bags - overflowing with vibrant brocades. She followed her love of the decorative arts to become a surface pattern designer. Nancy’s designs draw upon the exotic and whimsical, inspired by Mexican textiles, Iznik pottery, or Japanese Shibori. She earned her stripes (and polka dots too) creating dinnerware collections for retailers the world over. Nancy currently lives and works in Hoboken, New Jersey. Megan Gallagher grew up in a Victorian house under constant renovation in the mountains of Utah. Her mother nurtured her creative endeavors, and after her death from Alzheimer’s Disease, remains an inspiration for Megan’s art and the namesake for her shop, Modern Lily. Megan studied interior design, art and printmaking, before establishing herself as an artist/ designer living in Kansas City, Missouri. She’s an avid gardener and draws most of her inspiration from the plants. She sells her art and plant-related wares from her shop. She primarily makes digital art and acrylic paintings but she’s also passionate about watercolor, printmaking and being a maker of any kind. She and her husband enjoy the outdoors with their dog Bowie. Working with incredible artists from around the world, Wild Apple creates on-trend, traditional and style-forward art, design and patterns for wall and home decor collections worldwide. Wild Apple offers a wide variety of market-current themes and styles, and our dedicated sales team works with each customer to ensure the art our customers need is the art they get. To find out more about Wild Apple visit www.wildapple.com
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NATIONAL GALLERY GROWS LICENSING IN CHINA The National Gallery, London continues to develop licensing activity in China The National Gallery tells the story of European art from the late medieval period to the early twentieth century. From its home in London’s Trafalgar Square, the Gallery collects and cares for some of the world’s greatest paintings. Founded in 1824, the collection has over 2,300 pictures. Its story spans 700 years, with paintings from Renaissance Italy and by the French Impressionists. The Gallery is home to Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Monet’s The Water-Lily Pond, Van Eyck’s The Arnolfini Portrait, Velázquez’s The Rokeby Venus and Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire. The richness of the collection has caught the imagination of audiences in China. The Gallery’s licensing story goes from strength
to strength. Working closely with Alfilo Brands, the master licensee in China, the success of the partnership is down to a real understanding of the audiences in China and their appreciation of European art. In 2018 the partnership was launched with a 30-metre-long ‘Cultural and Art Corridor’ in the Shanghai metro. Around 6 million commuters saw the advertising and merchandise campaign over 30 days. Later that year, the Na-tional Gallery opened their first experiential and interactive pop-up store in Asia’s largest retail mall in Guangzhou, attracting 150,000 customers over four days. The following year, a second pop-up shop, ‘National Gallery Store in the Sky’, opened on the 116th floor of the Shenzhen Pin An Financial Center, the fourth tallest building in
MAY GIBBS AND AUSTRALIA POST Merchantwise Licensing’s May Gibbs recently partnered with Australia Post for the first time with an exclusive Mother’s Day homewares range from CWM Homewares. The classic gift items come in three colour stories: Safe Travels, In The Treetops and Blossom Love. Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the compendium book The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, each colour story features a travel mug, side plate and mug and saucer. The brand has also partnered with Walnut Melbourne for the fourth time as part of the retailer’s Winter 2020 collection.
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the world. In 2019, the National Gallery took part in China’s first ‘Global Museum Day’ on JD.com, the largest self-operated e-commerce platform in China, again in collaboration with Alfilo Brands. It was co-sponsored by the National Gallery, London, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the V&A, London, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, who developed bespoke products for the platform with various partners. The event generated 1 billion brand impressions in the Chinese market. The first National Gallery online store launched on TMall, operated by the Alibaba Group, and the Gallery also sold merchandise through the Museums and Galleries Collection store in Shanghai. New TMall & JD stores will be launched this year. The first Delicious Art™ café will also open in Shanghai. In addition to developments in retail and merchandise, the National Gallery have also been bringing their art to the forefront of learning by running a series of workshops at the Liu Haisu Museum and at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts. “We are delighted by the growth and success in China and our collaborative relationship with Alfilo Brands. One of our key aims is to raise awareness and expand our reach into new markets, and China has become one of our success stories. We have been able to launch new and innovative experiences and have tapped into modern museum retail in one of the most advanced digital buying markets globally. The Chinese audiences have a true appetite for learning and immersing themselves into European art and history, and we are delighted to be able to showcase that through unique and engaging approaches and bespoke product development.” Judith Mather, National Gallery Company, Director of Buying and Brand Licensing.
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A brand-new type of greeting – Gift-a-Card® Art licensing Agency This is Iris and partners Smith Taylor are proud to share the new packaging for Gift-A-Card. Licensee Smith Taylor have invested a great deal of time in looking at how they can reduce packaging across all of their gift lines over the past 18 months with their latest product Gift-ACard now set to be shared with their customers over the next few weeks. Based in Pershore, Worcestershire, UK, SmithTaylor designs and manufactures a wide range of unique decorative clocks, chalkboards, coasters and placemats. Gift-A-Card is just that! A greetings card which is also a piece of wall art! Smith Taylor’s unique product was initially introduced to the market last year using art work from UK Agency This is Iris. These unique cards were initially launched with the bright UK landmarks of Mokoh Design and was soon followed by work of Ailsa Black, Beryl Cook and Dominique Vari. After several months of development Smith Taylor have answered the needs of both retailers and that of their customers and we are thrilled to be part of this new range and excited to share the new look format with others Commenting, Sarah Lawrence of This is Iris said,
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“We’ve gone beyond the throw-away message of celebration, good wishes and ‘I was thinking of you’ to a create a keepsake that can be kept in pride of place hanging as a decoration in the home for years to come. The details are in the design, and that’s entirely up to you. We can create Gift-a-Cards with your custom images, any message on the back with a personalised label. Alternatively, select from our range of licensed artists’ images to complement other products that you have in your collections such as Ailsa Black or Catalina Estrada we have a wide variety of images to pick from. Gift-a-Cards are packed in eye-catching cardboard sleeves making them the environmentally-friendly, non-plastic solution that everyone is looking for today. Gift-a-Card – it’s a greetings card and it’s a gift too.” Said Peter Smith, Director Lassoo Creative Ltd
Beryl Cook On a different note, following the continued success of the Beryl Cook licensing program in the UK, This is Iris have announced their new partnership with leading German agents Euro Lizenzen and leading Jigsaw Puzzle partner
Schmidt Spiele. Following a face to face meeting at BLE all three companies have come together to build a new licensing plan that celebrates the work of this beloved UK artist. Beryl’s family have been instrumental in the success of the current UK program with her granddaughter Sophie and her husband Olly being responsible for creating a new portfolio of collage based artwork using the existing themes originally painted by Beryl. “Beryl’s artwork never fails to raise a smile and we are so pleased that this collection is as popular as ever.This evergreen collection continues to grow year on year, with us seeing sales for certain product categories overtake those of celebrity based lines. We’ve received more and more licensing enquiries for Beryl’s work over the past 12 months and we are thrilled to be working with our good friends at Euro Lizenzen partners Schmidt Spiele. We’ve known each other for nearly 20 years, we know that Beryl’s work is in good hands and we’re excited to see what happens next,” Sarah Lawrence, This is Iris commented. “We are delighted to become a part of the Beryl Cook licensing team and represent the highly reputable agency This is Iris ltd, for this amazing
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Licensing manager, Sarah Stevens. “Ailsa totally captures the charm of seaside village life in No Ball Games,” said Sarah Stevens. “Ailsa’s style is very distinctive, with her beautiful use of colour, interesting shapes and quirky details all make this puzzle such fun to put together. It makes me smile and I know others will too. Her joyful art complements our portfolio perfectly and No Ball Games has been extremely well received by retailers.” Launched at London Toy Fair in January, No Ball Games by Ailsa Black has gone on to be highlighted by several retailers with The Independent newspaper highlighting it as one of the Top 9 Puzzles to do during Lockdown.
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property, in the territories of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux and Scandinavia.” In these very challenging days of social distancing, we feel lucky to be surrounded by Beryl Cook’s beautiful art, featuring people at pubs, in the shower, in the garden, sunbathing, dancing and having good times with friends, which give us hope for brighter days soon to come. The strong messages in Beryl Cook’s art is what we really need in these days to keep us going day by day. We would like to spread these glorious images to all kind of merchandise to make people instantly feel happy,” says Nesli Karamuftuoglu, International Licensing Director of Munich-based licensing agency Euro Lizenzen.
Ailsa Black Ailsa Black’s unique artwork was transformed into a series of jigsaw puzzles for the first time at the beginning of this year.
Following an agreement with the UK’s leading adult puzzle manufacturer, Ravensburger. The agreement brokered by licensing agent This is Iris, saw the development of a 1000 piece puzzle based on the Scotland-based artist’s work, titled ‘No Ball Games’. It is Ailsas joy of coastal life that caught the eye of Ravensburger’s adult puzzle development
Zespa Media are working with UK art licensing agency This is Iris to bring Iris’ UK line-up of artists and designers to China. The latest agreements will see the work of House of Turnowsky developed for a large number of products across all Family Mart stores throughout China, from Turnowsky branded cafes within stores to customers being able to purchase ice creams wrapped with an exclusive print from this well-known collection. To coincide with the Family Mart launch a second agreement was recently signed with leading Beauty partner Abby’s Choice which will see the first of the makeup and beauty collections with Turnowsky’s designs on it launch across all stores in China as well as online to their millions of customers and followers. “We are so excited by this partnership. We have known our friends at Zespa for a couple of years and have spent that time building a portfolio that reflects the customer and this beautiful country. We formally launched our slate of designers, together at the China Licensing Expo held in Shanghai at the end of 2019. We spent three weeks travelling across China, meeting with partners, exploring various opportunities and making sure that we took the time to embrace this wonderful culture. We couldn’t happier with this partnership and thoroughly enjoy working with our good friends at Zespa.” said Sarah Lawrence of This is Iris.
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V&A PROGRAM EXPANDS IN EAST ASIA The award-winning licensing programme of the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum, London) offers an almost infinite source of design inspiration for a multitude of product categories. The museum continues to grow its product offering and global reach with new activations from licensees and retailers in key territories.
2019 has been a year of huge growth for the programme, especially in East Asia where the V&A team has worked with master licensee Alfilo Brands to push forward ambitious licensing plans, retail collaborations and pop-up stores. Ten new licensees were added in the past year and product ranges include cosmetics, footwear, homeware, luggage and eyewear. The V&A launched its first collaboration with Shiseido with a beautiful range of limitededition gift sets. Shiseido brands Pure & Mild, Aquair, Ma Cherie and Za used an array of V&A archive inspiration to create gift boxes, each with a uniquely designed gift, from a Japanese-inspired canvas bag, to handkerchiefs and headbands based on stunning English furnishing fabrics. The comprehensive marketing and press campaign included photography shot at the V&A using beautiful backdrops such as The National Art Library and inside the world’s first museum café – a visual feast in itself! The V&A’s latest launch in China is with another renowned beauty brand - Lansur. The range includes foundation, concealer, lipstick and an eyeshadow palette decorated with the stylised and flamboyant Art Nouveau portrait ‘Zodiac’, created by Alphonse Mucha. Other releases include premier fine jewellery retailer Chow Sang Sang, China’s exclusive re-
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tailer of V&A fine jewellery, have extended an exquisite crown range, inspired by a ruby silver foil crown from 1863; and Cote d’Or, launching a second series of limited-edition chocolate gift boxes this spring and The V&A continues to collaborate with major online retailers in China such as JD.com and Tmall.They participated in the first ever JD.com ‘Super Museum Day’ with Shiseido at the end of last year, to promote the V&A’s collection. The promotion proved very successful attracting 230,000 online visitors on the day. Further initiatives continue as art is enjoying immense popularity in China, particularly amongst the younger generation. Building on the success of previous Chinese V&A experience-based stores, the V&A opened a pop-up store at the Tmall Ideal Life Experience Center at Shanghai K11 at the end of 2019. Open for a week in collaboration with Tmall Club, the store displayed product from four licensees: Basto, Twinings, 4inlook and Lomography. In May this year, the V&A will team will once again team up with Tmall to participate in International Museum Day. Customers can vote for their favourite museum ‘character’, with the V&A’s being Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The V&A’s social media presence in China continues to gain recognition, even winning its first award: the V&A’s WeChat account has proved to be the best performing newcomer to the platform. A combination of well-designed posts, targeted KOL collaborations and a focus on emphasising the museum’s relevance to its Chinese visitors has proven to be a winning
formula. The V&A’s Weibo account was placed in the ‘Top 10 Most Creative Museum/ Cultural Institution Weibo Account’ in 2019, the only overseas museum to achieve this accolade. In South Korea, one of the V&A’s collaborations linked to the country’s biggest messenger platform through the mobile shop Kakotalk Store, a deal between apparel licensee LIDC and LG Electronics offering a promotional V&A diary to loyalty customers. Also to launch this summer is a collaboration with fashion brand Michaa. An exciting new collection, which will feature a stunning range of women’s apparel, with each piece inspired by decorative designs held in the V&A archives by Arts and Crafts visionary, William De Morgan. The Museum continues to increase its well established presence in Japan, with two new Japanese licensees launching this year: Aurora with a range of sumptuous silk scarves, and Texet with curtain fabrics. Licensees in the UK continue to grow from strength to strength: Wild & Wolf introduced a beautiful new range of cosmetics, and beauty and gift accessories inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement. While the debut V&A collection launched in March from Blinds 2Go, the market leader within the UK for online blinds. Inspired by the V&A’s extensive collection of wallpapers and textiles by William Morris, the new range is a contemporary adaption of the original designs. In recognition of all this activity, the V&A has been nominated in nine categories across the UK B&LLAS and Licensing International Awards, including ‘Best Heritage Brand’.
TOTAL Art
Licensing
CREATIVITY IN A TIME OF UNPREDICTABILITY By Julie Ager, Artistic Designs Group Are you looking for tidbits of positivity in this chaotic time? Right now, people are starting to listen to one another and act - that alone right there is encouraging. But there is more to it, chaos and unpredictability have often proceeded incredibly creative periods. Coming out of WWI and the Spanish Flu Pandemic, we saw the emergence of Surrealism and the Dada movement. After WWII we saw Abstract Expressionism take off. Here in the U.S. during the late sixties and early seventies saw a period of unrest including the anti-war
not to mention some great music. What awaits us as we grow through this both individually and collectively? Okay, so let’s look at this thought on a more practical level. In a survey by Brandar Consulting released this week, 2019 showed sales of licensed art products up 4.9%. After being cooped up in our homes for such a long period of time, I believe that we will see two extreme reactions from consumers. The first group is going to come out of this time looking for a bit of nostalgia and comfort – or even just a bit of humor. The second is going to come out ready to change everything about those four walls that they have been staring at for months. Art licensing has been successfully navigating both types of consumers for years and we are
nor does it have to stagnate sales for years to come. What can we introduce now to compliment that inventory and give it a new kick of excitement? You can already see the ADG artists responding to these coming trends. The colors are brighter than they have been in recent years,
“Coming out of WWI and the Spanish Flu Pandemic, we saw the emergence of Surrealism and the Dada movement.” there Is a bit more humor. We are focusing on all of those new gardeners, cooks, builders and DIYers that have been using their own creativity during this period. We would love to work with you to navigate the upcoming needs and trends. Until we can see you face to face, you can schedule a virtual meeting to discuss your needs and see what is available. protests, the Hippy anti-establishment culture and the growth of the women’s movement. Following that we see the introduction of the contemporary art genre and postmodernism,
“After WWII we saw Abstract Expressionism take off. In the U.S. during the late sixties and early seventies saw a period of unrest including the anti-war protests, the Hippy anti-establishment culture and the growth of the women’s movement. Following that we saw the introduction of the contemporary art genre and postmodernism.”
uniquely prepared to provide the images that will resonate. We also need to consider that a number of brick and mortar retailers will be sitting with a large amount of inventory on their shelves. We don’t want to ignore this,
You can drop us a line at info@Artsdg.com, you can reach out to us through our website www.artsdg.com - or call 410-923-3786. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
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TOTAL Art
Licensing
FIREFLY TO LICENSE TODD GOLDMAN
ROSIE BROOKS
Firefly Brand Management has signed with well-known artist and self-proclaimed “professional doodler” Todd Goldman most noted for his highly successful David & Goliath brand that has generated hundreds of millions of dollars over the past 20-years. Firefly will be responsible for strategically outlining potential new licensing and product opportunities for Todd’s brand portfolio, which includes Stoopid Factory, Todd Art, Bear in Underwear, Tighty Whitey Toys, Goodbye Kitty, Boys Are Stupid, and Bow Wow Meow. “We are so thrilled to be working with such a successful and talented artist,” noted Cynthia Modders, CEO of Fireflly Brand Management. “I have admired his work for over the past 20 years and we are excited to take his doodles and whimsy characters to the next level. Todd’s sarcastic humor and charming artwork will guarantee to put a smile on everyone’s face, which is much needed in the crazy times and uncertain world we now live in. His art style is very recognizable, as he has found his own unique niche in a very overcrowded marketplace.” The artist and entrepreneur Todd Goldman is the creative force and founder of David and Goliath, a merchandise company that has produced hundreds of millions of dollars in sales on thousands of products over the years. Goldman is also a successful painter and his artwork is exhibited in galleries and collected all around the world. “I’m super excited to be working with Cynthia and her team, I’ve known her for 10-years when she represented the Paul Frank program for Target,” noted Todd Goldman. “Her current brand portfolio and expertise is a perfect fit for my unique humor and brand. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can come up with together while having great time doing so.” In addition to art, Todd is a successful children’s book author and has published 30+ books published to date with top publishers that include Random House, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster and Bloomsbury. Popular books include: Bear in Underwear, Super Fly, Rawr, Peas on Earth, Hot Rod Hotdog, One Potato Two Potato, Veggies with Wedgies, and a new graphic novel series about superhero dogs called Hound Heroes, with Scholastic set for release January 2021. He is represented by UTA, and most recently announced a new series currently in development, “Finding Einstein” is inspiring docu-series. The series is executive produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television in association with Telepictures and A Very Good Production, with DeGeneres, Kleeman and Todd Goldman serving as executive producers.
As an illustrator Rosie Brooks’ work has proved really popular in China. After exhibiting at the Beijing International Book Fair she was commissioned to illustrate a series of Dickens directly working with the People’s Literature Publishing House in Beijing. The rights for many of her book illustrations have been also been sold in China in e-book format. Her classical music themed illustrations have been particularly popular and she is talking to potential publishers and media companies at the moment. In addition, she is looking to develop a licensing model for the library of music based images she has been creating for the last ten years based on music, a part of the series she won the License This! Prize at Brand Licensing in October 2019. In particular she is looking at ways of responding to the Covid-19 and the devastating financial impact it is having on the performing arts venues. She is also an Ambassador for the Department of International Trade and its Creativity is Great.
MHS TO LICENSE FINE FRENCHIE MHS Licensing & Consulting is representing the new fashion brand Fine Frenchie. Russian born artist, fashion designer and creative entrepreneur,Valeria Krasavina is the creator of Fine Frenchie, a relatable French bulldog character who has a love for all things super glamorous. Launched in 2018, Fine Frenchie exudes a light-hearted fashionista vibe through its French bulldog character; an influencer, blogger, and world traveler, who loves to travel in style. Fine Frenchie is an animal rights activist and a women’s rights advocate, carrying a strong inspirational message. “We are thrilled to be working with Valeria on this whimsical and engaging brand.” says Marty Segelbaum, President of MHS Licensing & Consulting. “Fine Frenchie connects so well with
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its target audience of women, 16 to 60, and we feel there is huge licensing potential in a host of merchandise categories. We can spread the positive message through quality products from targeted licensees.” Leanin’ Tree will be introducing a line of Fine Frenchie greeting cards in early 2021.With the brand’s popularity on social media and the worldwide success of limited-edition prints, the brand offers a great chance for licensees to leverage the existing awareness.Valeria’s portfolio is available for licensing on fabric, home textiles, bath ensembles, stationery, wall décor, totes, giftables and more. Valeria has her own gallery space in the heart of Miami where she lives with her two French bulldogs that serve as her main inspiration.