BRAND LICENSING EUROPE
Leading art licensing agency MGL are returning to BLE once more. With a library of over 33,000 images MGL offer a diverse range of artwork suitable for an array of projects and product categories from greeting cards, calendars and stationery, to jigsaws, apparel, home furnishings and beyond. MGL have established lasting relationships with a significant number of international companies of
all sizes and work closely with their clients to ensure their artwork needs are met. This includes providing targeted artwork or creating bespoke illustrations and designs based on client briefs. Smiley are launching two new brands at BLE this year – Newmoji and The Smileys. For the last two years, Loufrani and his team have been working to carve out a new creative vision for the future of emojis, which he believes will provide a modern and creative take on the format whilst driving continued revenues for retailers and licensees. The 2 Newmoji design styles created by Loufrani include an Art and Extreme 3D design style. The Smileys will bring the full archive of world famous SmileyWorld icons to life as new characters in a unique mix and match collectibles concept, with over 100 million possible combinations. The Smileys will be supported by a TV Commercial as well as its own website and YouTube channel, featuring a series of webisodes which will explore the world of The Smileys and their friends. Style Library, part of the Walker Greenbank group, has an award-winning global licensing programme, working closely with carefully selected partners to create beautiful products inspired by designs from six of the finest British brands; Morris & Co., Sanderson, Scion, Harlequin, Zoffany and Anthology. From heritage to youthful to iconic, Style Li-
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brary is home to the widest and most diverse range of British interior brands. Not only are they the custodians of the original Morris & Co. archive founded by William Morris in 1861, they also house the extensive Sanderson archive dating back to the Renaissance. As well as the company’s core products of wallpaper and fabrics, we are building on existing and new partnerships with Licensees across the globe to create stunning product offerings inspired by the creativity and personality of their brands. Their iconic designs are available on an extensive range of products from bedding, towels, haberdashery and rugs, through to apparel, ceramics and umbrellas. Exhibiting at Brand Licensing Europe for the first time, Style Library will be showcasing the diversity of their brands from contemporary to iconic as well as hosting a seminar on the evolution of heritage brands and their relevance today. Appreciating Britain and everything these islands offer seems to be a theme of much of the design and research work at Vicki Thomas Associates in 2019. Julie Lavender continues to extend her patterns collections inspired by natural life in the British countryside and bird watching on the South coast. Some of her designs like Fetch are being picked up as concepts for the National Parks’ licensing program. Similarly, Jane Jones ceramic designs are inspired by her Lake District studio’s views and local walks. Walks and tours are of particular interest. Everyone is escaping to the countryside or at least outside with the dog. Clinton Banbury’s humorous illustrations still appeal to pet owners. Yet, it his paintings inspired by his travels, that are attracting attention. Isobel Bushel is creating maps and views for heritage sites, that allow them to create bespoke ranges. Here too, it is her drawings of horses and sheep that people buy for themselves. The firms interested in licensing designs from
the silk pattern book collections in Macclesfield’s Museums, seem to be picking up on patterns that are quintessentially British. Conversational prints like foxes and dogs and loose florals are top of their wish lists. At Clerkenwell Design Week, several furnishing companies commented how great it was to see British design. The UK’s 15 National Parks are the most extraordinary landscapes. Visited more than 104 million times each year, they provide inspiration and enjoyment for us and in turn inspire us to care for them. At BLE Vicki Thomas Associates will be showing how they as artists and designers have been inspired to care for the National Parks. Working together with National Parks Partnerships, they are developing a licensing programme and style guide that taps into the character of the parks, encouraging the creation of products and partnerships that capture the value of these wonderful locations whilst generating funds to support looking after and conserving these incredible places for everyone to enjoy. The Imperial War Museum consists of five museums and historic sites covering war and conflict from the First World War to the present day. Their various sites include the Imperial War Museum London, IWM North, IWM Duxford, HMS Belfast and the Churchill War Rooms. Their unique collection of objects tell the human stories of lives engulfed in war and show how conflict has shaped the world in which we all live today.
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