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COLLABORATION FOCUS: NHM X DUNELM
Natural partners
Inset: Owls, hares and moths are celebrated in the Moorland collection.
Born from a shared passion for the natural world, the collaboration between the Natural History Museum and Dunelm is a commercial and creative success story. Having exceeded expectations in terms of sales, it has expanded the reach of both brands while raising awareness of key issues facing the natural world – and bagged a B&LLA into the bargain. Tessa Clayton finds out more.
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licensed partnership between the renowned Natural History Museum and leading homeware retailer Dunelm was first mooted during lockdown by the Museum’s licensing agency IPR. “We recognised early on that both brands shared a synergy,” recalls the Museum’s head of licensing Maxine Lister, “particularly when it came to our approach to sustainability. We were impressed with how much Dunelm was already doing in this area and were keen to join them on this journey.” The Museum had already experienced early success in the homewares category with its collaboration with Farrow & Ball, as well as its luxury wallpaper collection with Divine Savages. “We knew that there was an appetite for the brand in this area, but we hadn’t yet fully explored the category,” explains Maxine. “We realised that working with Dunelm would allow us to introduce the brand and our message
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LICENSING MUSEUM & HERITAGE BOOK 2024
about the work we do to the mass market while simultaneously exploring other product areas beyond just paint and wallpaper.” Dunelm’s head of design and product development Emma Anthony recalls how the partnership “clicked into place for a number of reasons” in addition to both brands’ shared sustainability goals. “Obviously, we recognised the wealth of inspiration within the Museum – it’s home to 80 million specimens – but also, the team are just such fun people to work with,” she says. Early on, it was decided that the first NHM x Dunelm collections Above middle: All NHM x Dunelm bedding is made from responsibly sourced cotton and/or recycled polyester. Inset: The shell motifs featured in the Shoreline collection were designed with the help of the Museum’s scientists.