The Source talks to Hasbro’s Katherine Buckland about the brand’s fashion credentials.
When Hasbro relaunched My Little Pony back in the autumn of 2011, it was the company’s ambition for it to become a top girls brand, not only within the UK but globally.
In fact today, as confirmed by NPD data, My Little Pony is a top 15 brand and has grown by double digits consecutively each year for the last three years.
“As fans who originally loved and played with the brand are now mums and dads themselves, we want to develop product that they know and love in the nostalgic look of the 1980s, while bringing a new look and freshness of the animated series to our younger audience,” says Katherine Buckland, Hasbro Europe’s senior licensing director (pictured above left with Holly Oldham, Hasbro’s UK licensing director), explaining the segmentation of the product offer.
And while apparel may be a core tent pole for any consumer products launch, it is rare that this clothing is destined for the catwalk.
However, these ‘clothes horses’ have well and truly bucked the trend.
Over the years, Hasbro has had a number of great designers approach them wanting to bring the nostalgia and connection of My Little Pony into their clothing ranges.
“Alice Vandy has been a great partner of ours for several years now, bringing her own take on the brand into her range of bodycon pieces in bold colours,” says Katherine.
Hasbro also has a great relationship with Fyodor Golan, who featured My Little Pony in its autumn 15 London Fashion Week catwalk show. The show was so successful that Tatler hailed it the best sponsor of a show ever, delivering over 700,000 impressions on social media.
“In June this year we collaborated with Louisa via Roma, an Italian luxury boutique,” Katherine continues, further highlighting the brand’s fashion credentials.
My Little Pony was the inspiration for its Firenze4Ever annual event. ‘Over the rainbow with My Little Pony’ was the main theme and the event included a charity auction project, ‘make kids happy’.
Some 12 of the world’s top designers, including Roberto Cavalli, Versace, Missoni, Fendi, Balmain and Kenzo each decorated a 75cm TY Rainbow Dash plush. These pieces were then auctioned on eBay for Save the Children and the Nepal earthquake appeal.
Not content with taking the fashion world by storm, My Little Pony is also set to take on the big screen with a movie slated for launch in 2017.
“We’ve only just begun to expand the scope of My Little Pony and what we have to offer,” says Katherine. “We’ll continue to deliver the elements that have made us successful to date, and with a new movie coming in 2017 we know the momentum is there to continue our goal of being a top brand globally.”
