Keeping up with Fashion Licensing Trends

Whether it’s toys or food or fashion, License Global closely follows consumer trends. What licensed products and deals are perched atop the heap? What’s been happening? What might we expect to see coming down the pike? License Global looks back over fashion trends seen in 2023 and forecasts likely trends we’ve extrapolated from our data.

Licensing International’s 2023 Global Licensing Industry Study found the Fashion category continued its share decline that began back in 2018, falling -0.3 share points to 8.7% of the market, dropping to the fourth-ranked share position for the first time since LI began running the Global Study. LI reported some modest growth of +3.8% in 2022 as product categories that traditionally license fashion brands (such as beauty aids, accessories, footwear and gifts) were on the uptick again in 2022.

Despite this decline, we’re still seeing fashion as a top news topic in licensing, with continued collaborations across entertainment, sports and shoes. Entertainment and licensing go together like peanut butter and jelly. In 2023, we saw that pairing manifest itself through some great licensed apparel, featuring everything from celebrities to comic characters and toys. In October, Poetic Brands announced it had received a new pan-European license from global brand development, marketing and entertainment platform, Authentic Brands Group, to design, manufacture and distribute apparel celebrating top-tier icons, Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. But it’s not just celebrities from days gone by garnering fashion licensing deals. In December, Rolling Stone commemorated musician, Olivia Rodrigo’s, first solo cover on the music publication with a new line of limited-edition clothing produced in partnership with Geffen Records and Bravado, Universal Music Group’s brand management company...