Komar Revisiting Old-School Products with Updated Outlook

Licensing has experienced a huge boom over the last three years, driving the need for delivering quality products while cultivating brand engagement across the industry. Consumers spent $315.5 billion worldwide on licensed merchandise in 2021, according to a study by Licensing International, which is up 7.75% from 2019. 

I enjoyed chatting with Maya Assis, vice president, licensing, Komar, on how sleepwear is experiencing a full-circle moment within licensing and retail. Assis discussed the challenges, upcoming trends and the importance of consumer engagement within the licensing industry while staying true to Komar’s brand identity. 

Assis will speak at Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit as part of the session “Think Tank: Can the Licensing Process be Rebuilt?”, a cross-industry panel that will interact with the audience to deduce feasible actions to improve producing quality products to consumers in a timely manner. 

Anna Knight: Tell us about yourself. We’d love to hear about you and your company’s role in the licensing industry. 

Maya Assis: I joined Komar in May of 2021 as VP of Licensing. Komar is family owned and has been in business for over 100 years. We are leaders in sleepwear and work with top brands across all retail channels. Komar is synonymous with quality, and licensors know that by working with us we will create products that look and feel different from anything out there. Additionally, our team is very passionate about what we do. We live and breathe sleepwear and intimates and that can be seen in the products we produce. 

Related:Komar Names Licensing VP

Can you speak to the leading challenges the industry is facing right now? 

Right now, retailers are facing over-inventory issues which are affecting future buys. Unfortunately, we don’t know what the future holds, but are hopeful that all the challenges that we have faced over the last three years will level out.  

What trends are coming down the pipeline? 

In sleepwear, it seems as though the consumer is moving away from sleepwear as loungewear and is looking for more traditional sleep styles. This translates to brighter colors, larger characters and overall fun designs. 

What drew you to speak at B&LIS this year? 

I have always enjoyed connecting with my licensing peers and learning from them. It is important to remain up to date on the industry in this ever-changing environment. 

What can delegates expect to learn about during your session “Can the Licensing Process be Rebuilt”?  

The world has changed over the last 3 years and old processes often no longer apply to this new world. We will discuss which changes can be made to make the approval process quicker and how we can become more flexible on both ends. 

What excites you about engaging and learning from your community in person at B&LIS this November? 

Aside from Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, there aren’t many opportunities to connect with people from this amazing industry in person. B&LIS is a chance to bring many of us together in a room and discuss how our industry is evolving and what we can do to stay on top of it. 

Brand & Licensing Innovation Summit will take place Nov. 8-9 in New York City at Convene New York. Visit brandlicensinginnovationsummit.com to secure a pass for Maya’s session and more thought leadership presentations during the two day conference.