2023 marks the 20th year in business for Melbourne based brand licensing agency, Blue Chip Brands. The company is marking the occasion with new product launches for existing brand partners as well as being appointed to manage the development of the consumer products program for some new clients.
Australian illustrator Steven Rhodes continues to flourish. A raft of new deals have been finalised recently including Ripple Junction, Ata-Boy, Sellers Publishing & Pyramid America in North America. In EMEA — Displate, Moonpig, EMP, Impericon and Bravado Germany have all inked deals and Blackstone Design has come on board and is supplying apparel to Urban Outfitters.
Betty Boop is enjoying a resurgence in Australasia. Young women’s apparel was launched in the first quarter of 2023 with global fashion destination online retailer — Princess Polly as well as with youth fashion chain Jay Jays. Both ranges were designed and delivered by licensee Bravado Australia. Factorie is launching a range of fashion apparel and accessories in July and has more exciting plans in the pipeline for later in the year featuring Betty Boop.
One of the licenses that has recently joined the Blue Chip Brands portfolio is the University of Cambridge. The collegiate fashion trend has really established itself worldwide and there is no more iconic institution than the University of Cambridge which dates back to 1209. With global retail programs in place with brands such as Replay Jeans, Bershka and H&M the first Australian apparel is slated to be launched for Summer 2023 through licensee Caprice.
Blue Chip Brands has also been tapped to develop a consumer products program in the region for Californian design and lifestyle brand — Killer Acid. Killer Acid represents the psychedelic work of artist Rob Coradetti. The style is a blend of head shop and punk rock and enjoys premium retail placement with retailers including Zumiez, Urban Outfitters and Pac Sun in the USA and Blue Tomato in Europe. The key focus will be to secure the core apparel partner to launch the brand in Australasia.
PENTHOUSE is one of the most iconic globally recognized lifestyle brands in history. For more than five decades, PENTHOUSE has remained a relevant and influential resource for consumers who crave a luxuriously bold lifestyle defined by their own terms. Blue Chip Brands is now representing PENTHOUSE consumer products for Australia.
This article originally appeared in The Bugg Report Magazine Edition 44
