"Licensing has been finding increased importance in fashion fraternity these days. Same has been captured by a recent Euromonitor study, ‘Global Licensing Trends in Adult Fashion’. Licensing has spread across all aspects of the apparel and footwear business and across all demographics, ages and regions. As fast fashion and athleisure drive growth, fashion house and character collaborations reach new heights. While adult fashion is diverse in terms of licensing types, character is still one of the biggest licensing types in the industry."

Licensing has been finding increased importance in fashion fraternity these days. Same has been captured by a recent Euromonitor study, ‘Global Licensing Trends in Adult Fashion’. Licensing has spread across all aspects of the apparel and footwear business and across all demographics, ages and regions. As fast fashion and athleisure drive growth, fashion house and character collaborations reach new heights. While adult fashion is diverse in terms of licensing types, character is still one of the biggest licensing types in the industry. Adult-targeted classic characters’ appeal benefits from a nostalgia factor, and even some child-orientated franchises are marketed secondarily to adults by creating a ‘cool’ factor around them.

Fast fashion players such as Primark and H&M are highly active in licensing world. Direct-to-retail has enabled Primark to offer trendy DC Comics and Harry Potter licensed merchandise at very low prices, which it would not have been able to do otherwise. It is the largest retailer partner for Harry Potter themed products, while other collections also include Star Wars, Minions, Looney Tunes and Family Guy. In 2016, Primark was Western Europe’s third largest apparel brand, up from fourth place in 2013.

Athleisure defining trend of the decade

Athleisure is fuelled by consumers’ growing desire to prioritise wellbeing. The relaxation of dress codes has also played a huge role in its rise. Sportswear’s growth has intensified in recent years, recording a CAGR of 6 per cent over 2011-2016, compared to 4 per cent for apparel and footwear overall. The trend filters into licensed adult fashion. In April 2017, Warner Bros Consumer Products, the world’s fifth biggest licensor, partnered Her Universe for a range of superhero-themed women’s activewear. Sportswear has been identified by the industry as a key growth area for licensed adult fashion in coming years.

Character licensing

In womenswear, franchises increasingly target leading fashion shows. Disney, the world’s biggest licensor by far, has been very active in creating a larger space for its Minnie Mouse licence in fashion. In menswear, while Star Wars fever continues to be felt with new licensed fashion collections by Columbia Sportswear and Selfridges, Fun.com brought much needed excitement to formal and winter-wear thanks to its partnership with Marvel and DC Comics, launching an exclusive range in November 2016.

Untapped categories

Apart from this, there are various different categories that are still untapped. Categories, including suits and jeans could potentially offer good opportunities for expansion and growth. Licensing businesses need to be more creative, thinking outside the box and not limiting their merchandise just to tops and t-shirts. In categories that are not traditionally associated with licensing, subtle details could be used in a garment, allowing fans to connect with their favourite characters and franchises.

Partnerships between designers and character franchises are expected to continue, as these properties increasingly use designers’ credibility to enter and expand into adult fashion, reports Euromonitor.