World of music merch is now at a “whole new level” says Bravado UK md David Boyne.
Capsule collections and pop up stores from stars such as Justin Bieber and Kanye West have helped to turn artist merchandise into a global fashion movement, according to Bravado’s UK md David Boyne.
The world of music merchandise has been lifted to a “whole new level” says David, with fans now expecting more than simply a plain band t-shirt.
Speaking in the summer edition of Licensing Source Book, David said: “Music apparel today is very much more about fashion, the trends we see on the catwalk and the high street. Our design and sales team work very closely on trends.
“When dealing with retailers like Selfridges or ASOS, it isn’t about just putting great artists into those spaces, but making sure that it is very much on trend and right for their consumer base.”
David continued: “The fusion of fashion and music means that a plain band t-shirt just doesn’t work in that environment any more.”
Bravado has been involved with a number of pop up stores so far this year – with just two examples being Justin Bieber’s Purpose Stadium Tour collection in Selfridges and a Guns n’ Roses pop up in luxury menswear designer John Varvatos to mark the Not in This Lifetime tour.
“Artists like Justin Bieber and Kanye West, and their innovative capsule collections and pop ups, have really helped artist merch become a global fashion movement, and that has helped take the world of music merchandise to a whole new level,” David continued.
“Culturally it has evolved, too. The pop up today is an experience for the fan that it wouldn’t have been 20 years ago, as it has also become the photo moment and an opportunity for social interaction and activity.”
This story is taken from a feature which originally appeared in the summer 2017 edition of Licensing Source Book. Click here to read the full publication.
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