With Fashion selected as the annual licensing show’s main theme for 2022, BLE will be playing host to nine themed catwalk shows during the three-day event. “Jurassic Park,” “E.T.,” “Trolls” and many of UBD’s best-loved properties will take center stage during the Kids’ runway show (2 p.m., Tuesday Sept. 20) and the Entertainment Collabs showcase (2 p.m., Wednesday Sept. 21). As part of BLE’s new fresh-off-the-runway activation, mannequins modeling on-trend items from UBD’s latest licensed capsule collections will appear in a special display at ExCel’s N3 entrance. 

“Fashion licensing is an extremely strong category for Universal,” says Paul Bufton, vice president EMEA at 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.” 

The collections in the spotlight at BLE are all available worldwide – a testament to UBD’s brands’ global appeal – and have a streetwear/urban focus. It’s a sector in which UBD has considerable expertise; its recent “Jurassic Park” collaboration with Reebok was nominated for Best Licensed Collaboration at this year’s Licensing International’s Excellence Awards, while music production company, Lyrical Lemonade and Minions collection sold out within mere seconds of its release this summer. 

Taking to the Kids’ catwalk on Sept. 20 will be: 

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 

Gabby’s Dollhouse, from Walmart, F&F and Character.com  

The Entertainment Collabs catwalk show on Sept. 21 will feature: 

Universal Studios x Gucci: Paying homage to L.A., the entertainment capital of the world, Gucci’s Love Parade collection includes key pieces emblazoned with the Universal Studios Hollywood logo, including a crystal cotton sweatshirt and crystal embroidered denim jacket.  

Hot Stuff x Broken Promises: Heritage comic-book character, Hot Stuff: The Little Devil (a DreamWorks property), has been made the star of a contemporary streetwear collection from California-based Broken Promises, a brand favorite of celebs including Miley Cyrus, Machine Gun Kelly and Wiz Khalifa.  

Scarface x Shoe Palace: California brand, Shoe Palace, has celebrated the iconic 1983 movie with an exclusive collection of shirts, hoodies, trousers, shorts and accessories featuring the likenesses of key characters, Tony Montana (Al Pacino) and Manny Ribera (Steven Bauer).  

Kung Fu Panda x Urban Revivo: The Singapore-based fashion brand dropped a limited-edition Kung Fu Panda collection in time for this year’s Lunar New Year, featuring on-trend dresses, knitwear, bags, shirts, T-shirts and trousers.  

Universal Monsters x WAAC: The South Korean high-end golf brand paid homage to the studio’s back catalog of horror and sci-fi classics with a range of pieces inspired by Frankenstein’s Monster and more. 

Felix the Cat x Levi’s: DreamWorks’ Felix, the first animated film star, jumps out of the screen and onto vintage-inspired preppy pieces including rugby shirts and varsity jackets as part of Levi’s collegiate-inspired collection.  

Felix x Vanson M.C.: A historical collab showcasing the iconic nature of Felix the Cat, brought to life by the U.S. motorcycle brand. 

E.T. x Lazy Oaf: Key pieces from the 2019 collab with British design-led lifestyle brand, Lazy Oaf, will be taking to the catwalk to celebrate the 40th anniversary of “E.T.”  

Trolls x Milk Boy: Japanese brand, Milk Boy, brings the classic Trolls to life in an on-trend urban streetwear collection. 

Jurassic x The Hundreds: An eye-catching yellow raincoat, reminiscent of Denis Nedry’s jacket from 1993’s “Jurassic Park,” will be on show from community-based streetwear brand, The Hundreds. 

Richie Rich x Reason: A historical collab with New York’s Reason Clothing, featuring a statement denim jacket embellished with hand-printed graphics and embroidered patches, inspired by the classic animated character. 

“You can gauge the strength of our expertise in the fashion sector by the way our partners come back again and again for repeat collections, and work with multiple Universal properties,” says Bufton. “Milkboy, for example, has previously designed an E.T. range; OIOI has produced earlier collections for Felix the Cat, Richie Rich, Hot Stuff and Casper; Hype has released ranges based on Back to the Future and the Jurassic franchise; while Urban Revivo has created designs for a multitude of UBD recent and nostalgia properties, including Minions, Casper, Felix the Cat, Woody Woodpecker and Garfield. 

“We continue to grow our blockbuster brands’ eco-systems – we added to the Jurassic franchise with the animated series ‘Camp Cretaceous,’ for example – which means the opportunities for apparel licensing continue to grow, too. Meanwhile, our U-Vault is a true treasure trove of IP, from nostalgia properties like ‘E.T.’ and ‘Back to the Future’ to cult classics like ‘The Blues Brothers,’ ‘The Big Lebowski’ and teen movies like ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Sixteen Candles.’ When it comes to the fashion sector, there’s so much potential waiting to be tapped.” 

NBCUniversal will be at stand A171 at Brand Licensing Europe, Sept. 20-22, ExCeL London. Click here to register for BLE 2022.