La Plume Doree began licensing business in 1997, in the Sport category with French football team Olympique de Marseille. For 25 years, La Plume Dorée has become a key partner for licensors and Retailers for the back-to-school season with backpacks, stationery and accessories. 

What do you look for in a licensing partner and how do you identify those potential partners? 

Alexis Krikorian: We are looking for a long-term partnership first, and sustainable characters, brands that cover all channels and multiple countries. 

Do you have any examples of licensing done right, from a La Plume Doree perspective?  

Our most successful partnerships include Paris Saint-Germain, French Football Federation, Pokémon, “Naruto” and for 2023, Super Mario within backpack, schoolbags, sport bags and mugs categories. 

Pokémon backpack.

How would you describe the licensing space in France currently? 

There is still plenty of room for growth, despite a fierce competition with many properties proposed each year and with retailers developing their own designs in private labels.  

Nevertheless, we continue perform with a double-digit growth each year. 

Are there any trends you are noticing in the luggage, accessories and stationery space at the moment? 

End consumers are looking for novelties, added value and new shapes. 3D and recycled products are the current trends.

Paris 2024 duffle bag.

You will have a presence at the inaugural France Licensing Day in Paris in March, being the event’s bag sponsor. What are your reasons for being there and what do you hope to get out of the event? 

We see France Licensing Day and Licensing International Awards as a great way to meet our licensors and peers’ cross categories, and to build cross activations. 

What can we expect from La Plume Doree in 2023? Have you got anything in the pipeline that you are able to share with us? 

In 2023, we expect to be strong in gaming and manga ranges. We will have some exciting new products at retail. 

France Licensing Day and the Licensing International Awards will take place in the surroundings of Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris in Paris, France, on March 9. 

Click here to find out more about exhibiting of visiting France Licensing Day 2023.