Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - November/December 2020

14 CAROLINE MICKLER LTD TEAMS UP WITH ICONIC IMAGES TO REPRESENT NORMAN PARKINSON ON RANGE OF GIFT AND ACCESSORIES MERCHANDISE Caroline Mickler Ltd has teamed up with Iconic Images to represent Norman Parkinson, one of the most important and celebrated fashion photographers of the twentieth century, on a range of licensed stationery, ceramics, apparel and gift products. Norman Parkinson’s career spanned the 1950’s to 1980’s including a long collaboration with Vogue magazine. His images capture the style of the twentieth century; from pre- war 1930s Britain and the austerity fashions of World War Two, the Parisian New Look of the 1950s and Swinging London in the 1960s, to the glamour and glitz of the 1970s and ‘80s. In the 1970s, his images helped elevate new models Jerry Hall and Iman to superstar status. Alexis Venn, Head of Licensing for Iconic Images says, “Norman Parkinson’s images for many years have been celebrated in books and magazines, his fine art prints adorned the walls of galleries and homes globally, we are delighted to collaborate with Caroline Mickler Ltd and through merchandise bring this wonderful archive to a brand new audience.” Caroline Mickler says, “Photography as an art form has the ability to capture a unique moment in time and Norman Parkinson’s body of work is still highly relevant. We believe that a Norman Parkinson collection of licensed stationery, ceramics, apparel and gift products will allow consumers to enjoy beautiful fashion photography for many years to come.” METROSTAR, BRAND CENTRAL & KRAFT HEINZ SHARE PLANS FOR FESTIVAL OF LICENSING Metrostar has confirmed it has signed up for the Festival of Licensing and will be working with a new client, Kraft Heinz, to use the event as a platform for a hard launch of its brands into licensing. The two companies, along with the company’s global licensing agent, Brand Central, have been working with Kraft Heinz brand teams on strategies for each of the brands in the UK and have identified their key priorities for the show. Metrostar reports that early conversations are going well, with high levels of interest amongst both retailer and licensees, and the Festival of Licensing provides the ideal platform to introduce Kraft Heinz brands to the broader licensing industry. A variety of Heinz sub-brands are to be on show, including Tomato Ketchup, Baked Beans, Salad Cream, Cream of Tomato Soup, Spaghetti Hoops, as well as other brands in the company’s portfolio such as HP Sauce, Lea & Perrins, Amoy and Bull’s Eye. Metrostar MD Claire Potter comments, “Our workshops have generated some great new product ideas for these iconic brands. The opportunity to extend is significant and we’re looking forward to talking with potential partners in food and non-food about our thoughts. The Festival of Licensing couldn’t have come at a better time for us.” Kraft Heinz Marketing Director Northern Europe, Olivia Hibbert says, “With unmatched strength in brands spanning across categories with over £800M in UK and Ireland sales, we are excited to take these iconic and much-loved brands into new and exciting directions for the future.” TOY INDUSTRIES OF EUROPE ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF PLAY FOR CHANGE AWARDS Toy industries of Europe, the voice of the reputable toy manufacturers in Europe, (TIE) has announced the winners of the 2020 Play For Change Awards (#playforchangeawards). The Awards focused on toys and practices that help kids confidently navigate the world around them in ways that show respect for themselves, for others and for our planet. Awards were given for innovation in three categories: empowerment; environmental sustainability; and future skills. Announced in a video released by TIE, the winners are: Empowerment category Recognising activities and toys that break boundaries based on outdated ‘norms’ of social status, ability, sex, race or religion: Gold Award winner: Mattel for The Barbie Empowerment Project Silver Award winner: Twin Science and Robotics for the Twin Science Kit for the Visually Impaired Bronze Award winner: Mattel for Creatable World Environmental Sustainability category For initiatives and/or toys that educate about sustainability or deploy environmentally sustainable practices. Gold Award winner: Hasbro for the Hasbro Recycling Project Silver Award winner: Dantoy for BIO toys Shared Bronze Award winners: Clementoni for the Sequence Puzzle and Allingham Games with The Good Life Future Skills category Recognising an initiative or product that prepares children for tomorrow’s world. Gold Award winner: Learning Resources for Artie 3000TM Silver Award winner: Chicco Artsana for Adventure Airlines Bronze Award winner: Geomag for Skyline New York Despite the difficult pandemic circumstances, a substantial number of entries were submitted for the awards. Entries came from a wide range of companies, small and large, and they approached the three categories of empowerment, environmental sustainability and future skills from many different angles. Each award category had a dedicated, independent jury that represented a broad spectrum – disability rights, sustainability, education and play specialists, toy industry experts and more. Chair of the Jury, John Baulch, publisher of Toy World magazine said: “The high quality of entries meant that the choice of winners was not always easy, but we are really happy with the innovation, impact and playfulness of the winning toys. An award like Play for Change that celebrates toymakers innovating for good will drive further positive change in our industry.” This was the inaugural year of the Play For Change Awards. Catherine Van Reeth, Director General of TIE, said, “We want the Play For Change Awards to become an annual celebration, driving further innovation and change within our industry. As the initiative gets better known and more established, our aim is that a Play for Change award becomes something to aspire to: a recognizable sign of achievement in creating toys for a better world.”