Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), the leading European event for licensing and brand extension, has unveiled the timetable for its first-ever live fashion catwalk, with nine 15-minute shows over the event’s three days. BLE takes place Sept. 20-22 at ExCeL London and visitors can register for free online.  

To date, attending companies include Primark, Stradivarius, FASHION UK, George @ Asda, Sainsburys Tu, Next, John Lewis, ASOS, GEMO and thousands of other leading retailers and manufacturers.    

“Attendees really can expect the unexpected as brands take to the runway to showcase exciting new collabs and fashion ranges, either through immersive catwalk takeovers from world renowned brands – like Mattel and SEGA – or as part of overall themes, which include Brands & Lifestyle Collabs, Kids, F&B, Entertainment Collabs, Culture and Unity and Sustainability,” says Anna Knight, senior vice president, licensing, Informa Markets.  

Several shows will feature exclusive first looks, including Mentos from global confectionery powerhouse, Perfetti Van Melle, which has regular drops in fast fashion retailers. Mentos will spotlight a collaboration with the internationally renowned artist, Philip Colbert – the Mentos x The Lobstars collection – which will be presented for the first time. The collection is inspired by the mint brand’s vibe and a collection of unique Lobster Portrait NFTs that were recently released by the artist on Decentraland, covering 57 parcels. The collection is aimed at young women and consists of eight bold outfits.  

The full timetable for the catwalks confirmed so far includes:   

September 20 

10 a.m. CATWALK: Brands & Lifestyle Collabs  

12:30 p.m. CATWALK: Branded Catwalk  

2 p.m. CATWALK: Kids, featuring NBCUniversal, Sony Interactive and IMC Toys (Cry Babies)   

4 p.m. CATWALK: Mattel     

September 21 

10 a.m. CATWALK: F&B, featuring Perfetti Van Melle (Mentos x The Lobstars) and Pink Key Licensing   

12:30 p.m. CATWALK: SEGA   

2 p.m. CATWALK: Entertainment Collabs featuring NBCUniversal, Smurfs and Wildbrain CPLG (Teletubbies x Ellesse x GoGuy)  

September 22 

10 a.m. CATWALK: Culture and Unity  

12:30 p.m. CATWALK: Sustainability  

“The team here at SEGA are looking forward tremendously to the catwalk event at this year’s BLE,” says Jason Rice, director of licensing, SEGA. “As a Platinum sponsor we will be showcasing the best of our fashion and lifestyle products, underlining the amazing design and innovation to have come from collaborating with some of the industry’s leading designers, retailers and licensees worldwide. With a focus on Sonic the Hedgehog we are looking to wow the audience with a great show and to use the event as a platform to shout about the world of ‘Sonic Fashion’. We have had great success in this category across mass, mid-tier and high-end and luxury retail. Sonic’s undisputed status as a leading global entertainment brand as well as a long-standing gaming icon gives a real edge to the collections we have helped create and we’re excited to show this to the world. We’ll be showcasing a cross-section of some of the best fashion programs developed over recent times.”  

“We have Smurfy news for you,” says Phillippe Glorieux, head of marketing and communications, IMPS The Smurfs. “You have certainly not yet seen a fashion show with very beautiful Smurfing collections, including the most emblematic brands on the market – and that's because it's a world premiere exclusively on the BLE 2022 catwalk. So … see you on Sept. 20  to admire these beautiful collections. You're going to love it; we're sure of it. Happy Smurfy summer to all of you!”  

The catwalk is brought to BLE this year as part of the event’s Fashion theme. In addition to the catwalk shows, attendees can also enjoy an Opening Keynote with Richard Dickson, president and chief operating officer, Mattel, on “Barbie x Fashion” on Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. in the License Global Theater. Fashion displays will also be available throughout the event to showcase additional partnerships and collaborations, and the show entrances will each be taken over by Mattel, Paramount, SEGA, CAA-GBG and Products of Change to immerse visitors as soon as they arrive at the event.