September 15, 2022
BLE is Europe’s leading event for licensing and brand extension, taking place Sept. 20-22 at ExCeL London and
to attend. In respect of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the timing of her state funeral on Monday, Sept. 19, this year’s
:
Tuesday, Sept. 20.: Noon-6 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 21: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 22: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
BLE’s 2022 theme is Fashion and visitors can enjoy nine live 15-minute fashion shows across three days. Please note, the original timings of Collaborations and Barbie: the ultimate fashion icon on Tuesday have changed.
Tuesday, Sept. 20:
12:30 p.m.:
Live debut of Color the Decades, featuring Admiral Sportswear powered by Kornit, a fashion exhibition that reimagines iconic football designs in leisurewear.
2 p.m.:
Karma’s World (from
) from hip-hop artist Ludacris, offering streetwear-inspired daywear with Poetic Brands and a new exclusive range launching at George at Asda.
Universal Brand Development with clothing inspired by Jurassic, from Molo, M&S, New Era, Zara, Very, H&M and Sinsay; E.T., from Mini Rodini and H&M; Minions, from Kiabi and Lyrical Lemonade and Gabby’s Dollhouse, from Walmart, F&F and character.com.
4 p.m. (new time): Collaborations
Related:Brand Licensing Europe Unveils Eight Finalists for 2022 Kelvyn Gardner License This! Competition
(from Herschend Entertainment Studios) showcase an exclusive new collection launching this fall ahead of their European tour.
“We’re excited to connect our iconic Harlem Globetrotters brand with our fans across Europe,” says Natalie Setton, vice president, brand partnerships, licensing and content distribution,
. With 96% global brand awareness, the Smurfs are not only loved by kids, but also nostalgia fans. Lots of “Smurfy” apparel will be on the catwalk, including some unexpected brands.
showcases its new Natural History Museum x Joanie range with independent fashion brand, Joanie Clothing.
“We are absolutely delighted to be working with the team at Joanie,” says Maxine Lister, head, licensing, Natural History Museum. “We have been fans of the brand for some time now and love the way they approach their collections, both in the way that they celebrate the individuality of women’s fashion and their commitment to adopting sustainable fabrics and practices. Our collection with Joanie references many different themes from our collection from our beloved dinosaurs to whales, insects, minerals and much more. There really is something for everyone in this collection and we cannot wait for Joanie fans to see it.”
5:30 p.m. (new time):
“BLE marks an exciting return to the runway for Barbie fashion as we take over the runway in looks from
, Gert Johan Coetzee, Alessandro Enriquez, Zara and
,” says Richard Dickson, president and chief operating officer, Mattel. “The clothes and accessories celebrate the incredible popularity and signature style of Barbie as well as the brand’s global platform for self-expression. It is very exciting to be back!”
Wednesday, Sept. 21
10 a.m.: Food & Beverage
reveals its new
Mentos x The Lobstars collaboration
with pop artist, Philip Colbert, alongside successful
ranges. Designer Philip Colbert (Mentos x Lobstars), will attend BLE.
, Pan Am, Pringles and SLUSH PUPPiE (from
) show off diverse ranges from
to high-end collaborations with designer, Anya Hindmarch.
“We are really proud of the diversity of our apparel – they demonstrate how art originally designed to promote food and travel brands, their logos and advertising, can be reimagined as genuine fashion icons by removing them from their original context and placing them on the catwalk,” says Richard Pink, managing director, Pink Key Licensing. “We cannot wait to show you!”
12:30 p.m.:
will take over the catwalk with
: Fashion in the fast lane, featuring Sonic the Hedgehog x Hype, MJB and much more.
2 p.m.: Entertainment Collabs
Crash Bandicoot, Overwatch, World of Warcraft (from
with
) with their latest ranges from Shein, The Hut Group,
, Level Up Wear, Erve and more.
bring their joyful, gender-fluid collection that launched as part of Teletubbies’ collaboration with Pride of London earlier this year. GoGuy's founder and director, Sophie Guy, who designed the Teletubbies apparel, will appear on stage.
Universal Brand Development features Universal Studios x Gucci, Hot Stuff x Broken Promises, Scarface x Shoe Palace, Kung Fu Panda x Urban Revivo, Universal Monsters x WAAC, Felix the Cat x Levi’s, Felix x Vanson M.C., E.T. x Lazy Oaf, Trolls x Milk Boy, Jurassic x The Hundreds and Richie Rich x Reason.
“Fashion licensing is an extremely strong category for Universal,” says Paul Bufton, vice president, EMEA, NBCUniversal Brand Development. “We have a wealth of experience in working with brands from every tier – from high-end designers, such as Prada and Moschino, to streetwear labels, mass- and mid-market suppliers – and we pride ourselves on working closely with our partners to bring the very best products to market: fashion-first collections that have the additional ‘pull’ for the consumer of their favorite Universal properties.”
Thursday, Sept. 22:
10 a.m.:
Black and LGBT designers, models, creatives and crew
Sibu, fresh from London Fashion Week, with its Levi’s partnership using denim waste to create innovative fashion pieces with sustainability in mind
Angela Quansah, an award-winning designer who has appeared in Vogue and Elle, and currently featuring in the V&A’s African Fashion show
Bunmi, with its bridal and couture designs
DJ to Cardi B and Idris Elba, DJ Longers
Black Lives Matter apparel from Fashion United
12:45 p.m.: Sustainability, featuring Products of Change, Junk Kouture and United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
“I can’t stress enough how jaw-dropping, aspirational, inspirational and downright fun the BLE catwalk shows are going to be,” says Anna Knight, senior vice president, licensing, Informa Markets. “We’ve got everything from Barbie in Balmain and Zara to Sonic the Hedgehog x MJB and the United Nations, Products of Change and Junk Kouture bringing the climate change conversation to the forefront by challenging the next generation to think differently about fashion and waste. For anyone with a brand that has the potential to extend into fashion and is looking for that nugget of inspiration, this content is gold.”
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