Independent sleepwear brand, Their Nibs – synonymous with its hand drawn original designs and prints – turns 20 this year, and is continuing its growth in the licensing space as part of its celebrations.
Following a successful career as a women’s wear buyer at Laura Ashley, Their Nibs founder Fiona Bell took her love of vintage inspired prints and incorporated them onto beautifully produced clothes and accessories with her first shop opening in Notting Hill Gate in 2003.
Fiona then went on to open her second shop where she met Sia Smith, and with a mutual love of car boot sales and respect for the idiosyncratic, Sia soon became a full-time designer and partner in Their Nibs.
Every print is hand drawn in house, with the prolific print portfolio celebrating British design eccentricities, with dynamic colours, trims and embellishments a key element for all Their Nibs products.
The brand has gone on to see its award winning pyjamas sold in all John Lewis stores and online – indeed, Their Nibs is on the top five best performing brands for its category which includes nightwear, lingerie and swimwear.
While some designs are exclusive to John Lewis, Their Nibs can also be found on Friends of Joules and has a collaboration with LK Bennett for AW23. It has also worked with TK Maxx for many years in the UK and the international TJX teams in Europe, US, Canada and Australia. In addition, Their Nibs continues to work with selected independent boutiques.
It moved into licensing in 2022, partnering with This is Iris to grow the programme.
“Not only did we admire the work of Their Nibs, but also Fiona and Sia’s shared passion for their work and their commitment to their customers and team,” commented Sarah Lawrence, licensing director at This is Iris. “Their Nibs work tirelessly on their collections, working directly with retailers to ensure that each stage of the process is handled with care. It’s easy to see why this contemporary brand is so well loved and respected by so many.”
Home and interiors form a large part of the brand and, through licensing, This is Iris has been able to take the most popular and recognisable prints onto new products and into new markets.
Current partners include Samuel Lamont, We Love Cushions and Half Moon Bay, while a capsule collection with Boots also featured as part of the retailer’s 2022 Christmas campaign.
This is Iris is now exploring other core categories with partners from home and lifestyle.
Their Nibs is also a B&LLAs 2023 finalist in the Best Licensed Fashion or Talent Brand category.
Want to read more news like this? Simply sign up to our daily digest by clicking here. You can also follow @LicensingSource on Twitter and @licensing_source on Instagram.
