Licensing show a hit for textiles

NEW YORK — Licensing 2001, held here last week at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, proved to be one of the most fruitful ever for home textile suppliers.

Historically, toys and apparel manufacturers have had the upper hand with licensors of major entertainment, fashion and art properties.

But this year, licensors and their agents look to transform their properties into enduring lifestyle brands, home textiles manufacturers were reaping the rewards with abounding licensing opportunities.

"In the past, the licensing show was mostly about toys and apparel. But this year, licensors have become much more receptive to home textiles," said Patrick Moyer, vp, marketing for Mohawk Home, based in Sugar Valley, GA. "Home textiles can give a property a longer life. Home fashions are a part of lifestyles, and more and more licensors want to make their properties more lifestyle oriented."

Moyer added that, as opposed to last year, most of his appointments for the show were prompted by licensors looking to meet with him for possible alliances.

"Last year, I was the one chasing people down. But this year I had people ringing my phone off the hook trying to make appointments, asking me to stop by," he said. "More than half my appointments this year were made because people called me."

The following is a list of the home textile categories some of the major licensors are looking to enter with some of their main properties.

• A&E Television Networks: Looking to create a new line of period-inspired pieces in furniture and home textiles for its History Channel property, with introductions for soft goods by October 2002.
• BBC Worldwide Americas: Looking to expand its home textile product line for the Yoho Ahoy property.
• Bunnies By The Bay: Looking to branch out into all home textile categories, especially bedding.
• Cinar: Looking to expand its juvenile Caillou property into rugs, table linens and cotton throws.
• Coca-Cola Brand: Looking to expand its home textile lines with existing licensees.
• Fisher-Price: Open to all home textile categories, especially for its infant line, and looking to add home textile product to its line as early as October.
• Golden Books: Open to all home textile categories, especially infant bedding, for its Pat the Bunny and Little Golden Books properties.
• Hasbro: Open to all home textile categories to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of its Mr. Potato Head property; also open to bedding, bath and rug manufacturers for its nostalgic board game and toy properties, including Twister, Monopoly, Candy Land, GI Joe and others.
• itsy bitsy Entertainment Company: Looking for all categories of home textile manufacturing partners for its upcoming Huggy Home line for its Huggy Buggy toy.
• Joster La: Open to all home textile categories for its YM, Wanna Be and Parents Magazine properties; and also looking to kitchen textiles, table linens and window treatment manufacturing partners for its Mollie Katzen property.
• Mattel, Inc.: Looking to create decorative soft goods for its upcoming Barbie Nostalgic brand in 2002 targeting adult Barbie fans; for its Diva Starz tweener property, looking to expand its home line to include bath, rugs, throws and pillows.
• MGA Entertainment: Open to all home textile categories for its new Bratz collection of tweener dolls. The toy release will be followed by an animated or live action TV series in fall 2002 to support product rollouts.
• Scholastic: Open to all home textile categories, especially bedding, for its I Spy collection of riddle books.
• Sesame Workshop: Looking to add juvenile bedding and bath for its property Sagwa, an animated TV series debuting in the fall.
• Sony Pictures: Looking to partner with bedding manufacturers for "Men In Black II" (movie) and Harold and "The Purple Crayon" (TV series), as well as possibly its Phantom Investigators TV series property this fall. Also, for the upcoming motion picture, "Stuart Little 2," Sony is actively looking for home textile manufacturers to partner for all categories.
• The Jim Henson Co.: Looking for a juvenile bedding manufacturer for its Bear In The Big Blue House property.
• United Media: Looking to expand its domestics line, including home textiles products, in the near future for its Raggedy Ann&Andy and Precious Moments properties.
• Universal: Open to all home textiles categories for its "Sitting Ducks" animated TV series releasing in the fall and its upcoming motion picture, "The Scorpion King," debuting in theaters in 2002.
• Warner Bros.: Looking for kitchen textile and table linen manufacturers to partner with for its Harry Potter, Scooby-Doo, Power Puff Girls, Batman and Looney Tunes properties.