From museum archives and botanical collections to artist portfolios and corporate brands, this year’s Brand Licensing Europe exhibitors are showing how rich source material can be transformed intodistinctive, contemporary products
Total Brand Licensing looks at the latest launches and speaks to Golden Goose, IWM and the National Gallery about their plans for the show — and the opportunities shaping licensing in 2027.
The most successful licensing programmes increasingly offer more than recognisable imagery. They give partners a story to tell, a wealth of authentic material to explore and enough creative freedom to make a collaboration feel relevant to today’s consumer. Across heritage, art and lifestyle licensing, those qualities will be much in evidence at Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), where established cultural institutions, creative businesses and strategicagencies will present new partnerships and fresh approaches to brand extension.
NYBG Builds Global Momentum
The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) will be represented at BLE by US agency Jewel Branding & Licensing and its UK partner Metrostar, exhibiting together on stand C261. Their joint presence reflects the growing international reach of a programme now spanning fashion, home, health and beauty, gifts and lifestyle.
At the heart of NYBG’s offer is a move beyond conventional style-guide licensing towards bespoke, content-rich collaboration. Partners can explore resources including the Rare Book Collection at the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, using historic illustrations and botanical material to create individual ranges with an authentic connection to the Garden’s work. Opportunities can extend into original content, marketing activations and events at NYBG itself.
“NYBG’s licensing programme has reached a level of global momentum that reflects both the timelessness of its botanical archive and the strength of our partner network,” says Julie Newman, founder and CEO of Jewel Branding & Licensing.
Fashion has provided a particularly international platform. Following its first global collection in spring 2025, Reiss returned with an SS26 range reinterpreting butterfly and floral illustrations from the rare book collection, with a further collaboration in development for spring 2027. Liberty Fabrics has launched crafting, interiors and fashion fabrics, ready-to-wear and scarves based on patterns developed after the team visited NYBG’s archives.
In Asia, Barrel Swimwear has released women’s and men’s swim and lifestyle products in Korea, followed by a second collection including childrenswear. Korean brand Rowoon has introduced stationery, gift and home products, while Japanese fashion label emmi has used archive botanicals across women’s clothing and accessories. These programmes join an expanding roster that includes Cotton On and Bioworld.
Home, gift and stationery are growing too. SelectBlinds has translated hand-painted artwork and heritage illustrations into made-to-measure blinds and curtains, offered through SelectBlinds in the US, Blinds2Go in the UK and Tuiss in Australia. German retailer Thalia launched its first gifting collection in February, with a second planned for spring 2027. Further collaborations include Paperblanks, MÁDARA Cosmetics and a gift and stationery collection with Portico for 2027, alongside GreenRow’s home range and Tea Forté’s botanical-inspired Volaré tea collection.
Christa Boeke, VP Retail and E-Commerce and Brand Licensing at NYBG, believes the combination of authority, archive material and purpose makes the brand particularly versatile. Partners, she says, are creating collections that feel “design-forward, commercially relevant and deeply connected to the way consumers want to live today.”
NYBG x Select Blinds
NYBG x Reiss
NYBG x Thalia
NYBG x Paperblanks
NYBG x Tea Forte
NYBG x GreenRow
Art Licensing at Retail Speed
Also on stand C261, Jewel Branding & Licensing will highlight its global Artist Series programme and a licensing model designed to answer retail’s constant demand for newness.
Its Master Agreement gives manufacturers and retailers access to the work of more than 50 artists through a single contract, avoiding the need to negotiate separate agreements for each creative. Partners can search for artwork through Jewel’s online platform, while its in-house creative team works with artists to provide trend direction across colour, pattern and style.
“The purchase cycle has never moved faster, with consumers wanting new, trend-forward product on shelves constantly,” says Newman. “That relentless demand for newness is exactly why we built our Master Agreement model — to give partners a platform that can move at the speed retail now demands.”
For high-volume Master Agreement licensees, Jewel has also introduced The Diamond List, offering early access to new artwork, emerging trend intelligence and product-led direction.
The strength of the Artist Series lies in the geographic and stylistic diversity of its roster. Artists currently attracting strong licensing momentum include Mia Charro in Spain, Vicky Yorke in the UK, Krissy Mast and Bouffants & Broken Hearts in the US, EttaVee in France, Gabrielle Neal in Australia, Rachael Hale in the US and Bex Morley in Canada. By rotating featured artists from season to season, retailers can refresh assortments and create an element of discovery for customers.
