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POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS
From Pokémon popping up in classic artworks to a Gen Z fashion collection inspired by Victorian tile designs, the museum and heritage sector is increasingly pushing the boundaries when it comes to brand collaborations. Tessa Clayton rounds up some of the best.
Left: Riley Blake’s quilting fabrics are inspired by the RHS’ library of botanical artwork. Below: The collection nods to the TfL brand using shapes influenced by nearly 200 years of London transport uniforms.
Creative collaborations Style guides help RHS partnerships blossom
TfL is transported to new fashion heights
At the core of the RHS’ licensing campaign are its style guides, developed from assets with a strong emphasis on heritage, notably the RHS Lindley Collections – a library of botanical artwork offering over 25,000 images from the past 500 years. In 2023 alone the guides inspired home textiles (Turner Bianca), confectionery (House of Sarunds), kitchen textiles (Dexam), garden pots (Woodlodge Products), home fragrances (Freckleface), spirits (Harrogate Tipple), quilting fabric (Riley Blake Designs) and, naturally, multiple gardening-related products. RHS greetings cards from UK Greetings have been a hit in card shops, garden centres and major supermarket chains, a food gifting range from Kimm and Miller has done well in Tesco, and a calendar and diary range from Danilo is an annual favourite. Next year will see new home and gifting ranges from Dexam and Riley Blake and continued collaborations with multiple retailers.
London travelled to South Korea in autumn 2023 with the first launch from London Underground Studio, a new fashion brand created in collaboration by Transport for London (TfL) and Handsome (part of the Hyundai Department Store Group). Focusing on the date 1863 – the first opening of the London Underground, which features on various garment embellishments and applications – the collection nods to the TfL brand using shapes influenced by nearly 200 years of London transport uniforms. The launch was supported by a pop-up store in Seoul, created to evoke the feeling of stepping underground into London, with further pop-ups opening later in 2023. Ellen Sankey, brand licensing manager at TfL, comments: “This collaboration was about creating a design-focused, wearable fashion brand bringing London to the streets of South Korea. London Underground celebrated its 160th birthday in 2023 and this deal demonstrates how our iconic brand is still relevant today, both in the UK and internationally.”
V&A x FILA brings historic designs to life In November and December last year, the V&A and FILA launched an apparel collection across mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore inspired by the tile designs of 19th-century designer William De Morgan, whose Middle Eastern. Championing the museum’s core values of excellence in design and expert craftsmanship, FILA’s kidswear, menswear and womenswear creatively combined mythical creatures, flowers and motifs to create new prints and jacquards that bring De Morgan’s captivating designs and vibrant hues to life. “It is a joy to bring these rarely seen designs of the past into the daily lives of Gen Z,” commented the V&A’s head of business development and licensing Lauren Sizeland. Left: The FILA collection combined mythical creatures, flowers and motifs.
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LICENSING MUSEUM & HERITAGE BOOK 2024