THE BIG INTERVIEW
Masters of disguise A powerhouse in the US dress up category, Disguise Inc has been building a strong EMEA team over recent months. Having been a North America costume partner with Disney for over 30 years, the EMEA division has recently gained the costume rights for the brand and has been readying the launch of the all-new Disney portfolio in the territory on 1 April, 2022, set to bolster its presence.
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isguise already boasts a robust portfolio of licences in the EMEA region, including Mario, Minecraft, My Little Pony and Power Rangers, to name a few. The addition of the Disney rights to the offering, alongside an experienced and knowledgeable team both in EMEA and North America, provides a strong foundation for growth. And that’s exactly the plan. Tony Lewis, sales director, explains: “We hope to continue the growth pattern in EMEA and build a sustainable business servicing the dress up market both directly and via key distribution partners,
MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN Parent company, Jakks, will offer a key partner in the EMEA growth of Disguise, as Kim outlines: “Disguise in partnership with Jakks on toys are able to offer costumes that compliment popular toy brands. Leveraging well-established toy customer relationships, we have been able to jointly offer costumes with our toys. The history of Jakks relationships means our customers are confident we will provide a quality product and service.”
whilst becoming a best-in-class supplier.” The US experience will support the emerging markets, as Kim Lucas, business development UK and Ireland, explains: “As relative newcomers to the European/ UK costume market, we will use the full support and expertise of our US colleagues to create quality licensed costume opportunities through all distribution channels, whether that is key multiples, value, toy or independent retailers, offering a fabulous depth of ranges in both Disney and non-Disney licences.” Lianne Barber, marketing manager EMEA believes the US strength is part of what sets Disguise apart from its competitors: “Disguise benefits from decades of experience as the largest US costume supplier, Disguise has worked with licensed product for 32 years and treats every brand as its own. The quality of the Disguise costumes shines through in comparison to competitors. “The variety of costumes, the ranges, the licences and the innovation mean Disguise can stand out from the competition.” Lynda Morris, design lead EMEA, agrees: ”Innovation is such a key strength within the Disguise DNA and in order to continue this legacy a handpicked, hugely creative and technical team with a wealth of dress up industry knowledge has been gathered together. By doing this, the UK
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