Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - November/December 2020

INDUSTRY NEWS 15 ASHLEIGH & BURWOOD OPENS SECOND SHOWROOM Ashleigh & Burwood has announced the opening of a new showroom at Heritage House, its headquarters in Surrey. The new dedicated showroom space is furnished with every product, including the latest AW20 additions and the fixtures and POS. According to the team, “It provides a place for retailers to experience the products and fragrances in person. With COVID safety measures in place the ranges can be explored in a safe and relaxed way. The new showroom in the south of the country is the perfect complement to the viewing room that was opened at the prestigious Newby Hall in North Yorkshire at the start of the year.” PR Manager Deborah Bettinson says, “For retailers, having the opportunity to see our products in person and to smell all the wonderful fragrances is so important. We’ll be continuing to work on ways to bring our products in front of retailers in an interactive way, but for now having showrooms in the north and south of the country is a great step in the right direction.” Visits to either showroom are by appointment only and can be arranged by contacting Ashleigh & Burwood’s customer operations team. T: +44 (0)1932 267 060 , E: customeroperationsteam@ashleigh-burwood.co.uk or visit www.ashleigh-burwood-trade.co.uk WILDBRAIN CPLG APPOINTED AS EUROPEAN LICENSING AGENT FOR BRITISH CONTEMPORARY ARTIST CHARLOTTE POSNER WildBrain CPLG, one of the world’s leading entertainment, sport and brand licensing agencies, has been appointed as the European licensing agent for British contemporary artist, Charlotte Posner. Under its Lifestyle division, WildBrain CPLG will assemble a design-led consumer products programme inspired by Charlotte Posner’s vibrant artwork with an initial focus on the UK market. Target categories will include beauty, stationery and greetings, homewares and soft furnishings, fashion and accessories, luxury ceramics and tableware, and gifting. John Taylor, VP Northern Europe and Managing Director UK and France at WildBrain CPLG, said: “Charlotte’s work is captivating and original, both accessible and uniquely creative, and we are excited to collaborate with her to develop innovative and design-led product ranges. The licensing programme will sit closely alongside Charlotte’s art, offering fans of her work another chance to own a little piece of Posner magic.” Charlotte Posner said: “I am excited to be working with WildBrain CPLG to expand my brand. We are at an exciting stage of development and it is a great opportunity to share our creativity with more companies.” Inspired by people, places and popular culture from all over the world, Charlotte’s signature art style is distinguishable by its expression of shape and form, colour and confidence. Charlotte uses her art to transcend the invisible barriers that divide us and evoke emotion. Although working in a variety of media, it is traditional dip-pen and ink with acrylic and watercolour that she has become most noted for. Art shows are held twice a year to showcase her latest pieces. Charlotte believes artwork should be accessible, so releases a series of limited edition signed prints of 50-100 for Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. GB EYE TO LAUNCH SUSTAINABLE ECO-RANGE Leading posters and giftware manufacturers and distributors GB eye Ltd. is set to launch its new eco-range in collaboration with a local Sheffield manufacturer to offer a more sustainable gifting solution for its customers. With consumers increasingly looking for more environmentally- friendly solutions, GB eye’s new range of eco products focuses on reducing the carbon footprint from the design conception through to the end product. The strategy to source local and reduce international manufacture and import, is at the heart of the range positioning. The range was launched in mid-October with the introduction of the all-new stainless-steel water bottles. Made within a stone’s throw of the GB eye headquarters in the city of Sheffield, the water bottles will be available across a collection of licences including top tier names such as Pokémon, PlayStation, Harry Potter, and DC Comics. Also joining the range in late 2020 will be the tote bag collection. Produced locally from natural fibres, the tote bags perfect for fans of the brands, whilst helping to reduce the amount of single-use plastic bags used daily. With favourite names including Pokémon, DC Comics, Harry Potter, Dragon Ball and Stormtrooper, the tote bags will become a key product staple within the eco-range which will see further products join the collection in early 2021. Nicola Hallam, head of product at GB eye Ltd., said, “The eco-range has been a core focus for us throughout 2020 as we continue to look at ways in which to reduce our carbon impact on the environment. Expanding our product ranges to include more sustainable products is the first step as we explore new ways to better protect the world around us. We look forward to adding to the collection in 2021 with further internationally recognised licensed names.” The sustainable launch comes as part of a continued focus on GB eye’s environmental impact. The company has printed its extensive poster ranges on FSC-certified paper for over 12 years and is committed to making internal process changes where possible, to streamline design and sourcing processes, ensuring the drive to run on a zero-waste policy.