FOCUS ON: BLUES GROUP
dressed for succe ss I
A recognised industry leader in licensed babywear and toddlerwear as well as adult apparel and supplier to some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets and high-street names, Blues Group has recently added dressup to its business portfolio. PW checked in with costume division director, Tony Lewis and Blues Group’s divisional director of sales and design, Ruth Golightly, to find out more. 24
t’s been months in the planning, but Blues Group’s new costume wing is fired up and ready to go. The dressingup team have recently been in China visiting the company’s factory partners and are busy developing product, mostly for Halloween 2025. Meetings with key retailers are taking place over the next few weeks to finalise styles. “Moving into dress-up felt like a natural move, because it complements everything that we already do,” explains Blues Group’s divisional director of sales and design Ruth Golightly. “There’s a synergy to it. Blues Group has become a one-stop shop for retailers, using our strength in design to create cross-category ranges, from baby through to toddler clothing and adult apparel too, especially around events and key moments. “One recent example that comes to mind is the collaboration we have created for Nutmeg with Flower Fairies; we have brought together a crosscategory range for baby and childrenswear across daywear and nightwear, which launches in September in Morrisons stores.” A trusted partner to some of
Above: Peppa Pig is just one of many perennially popular licences in Blues Group’s portfolio.
Left: The company’s Ruth Golightly and Tony Lewis, both costume industry veterans.
the biggest names in retail, Blues Group has been operating in the licensed apparel space for a number of years. “Our toddler daywear and baby clothing divisions have been going for over 15 years, and 20 years in the case of babywear,” says Ruth. “We pretty much own the preschool landscape; we have nearly every single preschool licence that’s out there on our books. “We already work with the big brands like Disney, Mattel and Warner Bros., as well as some of the smaller brands that are well known in the dress-up space, and we have a reputation for creativity and great designs. We found that retailers are increasingly looking for a one-stop shop to make things easier for themselves. They don’t want to have to liaise with two or three different apparel licencees on a single licence. It makes sense to hand over the costume business to a company that they already work with and trust.” “Historically, dress-up has been linked to the toy market,” furthers costume division director, Tony Lewis, “but actually, from a customer point of view, it’s clothing, something their children are possibly going to wear day after day. So, from a design point of view, it’s aligned with what we’re already doing and where our expertise is.” Blues Group already has expert teams in place across its five businesses: Dennicci (babywear), Blues Clothing (toddler apparel), Blues Nightwear (children’s and adult sleepwear and loungewear), adult outerwear and Brecrest Fashion (licensed sportswear). The costume wing is no exception, with Lynda Morris having joined from Disguise in the role of head of creative and design, bringing with her over 20 years’ experience in dress-up and
HALLOWEEN 2024 PROGRESSIVE PARTY
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19/09/2024 10:45