TOTAL LICENSING
AN ENGLISH TREASURE, A GLOBAL SUCCESS
V&A Enterprises Expands Global Reach
Founded in 1852 on the back of the cial awareness with a knowledge of the in its targeting of the fifty-plus age
success of The Great Exhibition in collections. Working closely with de- range.” V&A want to reach out to a
1851, the Victoria and signers, they respond to briefs, tailor- younger audience and beyond the arts
Albert (V&A) Museum ing each project and provide support and crafts and home textiles arena.
was initially set up as a to research the collections and gain The aim is to expand the program
combination of Natural access to the archives. The licensing into accessories particularly and also
History, Science and team also have experience in product homewares (excluding textiles) and
Decorative Arts. The development and ensure a high level stationery etc.
Natural History Mu- of detail is maintained no matter what In addition to the unique access pro-
seum broke off some the life-span of a product. vided to some of Britain’s prized na-
years later (it was built The Museum is very much a piece of tional collections, the V&A’s interna-
in 1871-1881) and the English heritage, however, the licens- tional touring exhibition programme
Science Museum be- ing program is proving that it does offers further opportunities for au-
came its own entity not just have a UK-wide reach. Al- thentic and inspired products. Exhi-
opening up in 1929. The though the museum’s main ac- bitions such as Art Deco, Arts &
Decorative Arts Mu- tivity is within the UK and Crafts, Vivienne Westwood
seum that was left was Ireland, the V&A licensing and Modernism have already
known as the Museum program currently includes toured globally, generally at
of Manufacturers and the US, Germany and Japan three or more locations. These
then as the Victoria and Albert Muse- and increasingly, products are have generated greater aware-
um. The museum was really the result being distributed worldwide, ness of the V&A brand and, as
of championing by Prince Albert and reflecting its position as an a consequence provided op-
“The Victoria and
was proposed to be called The Albert international brand. portunities for new licensees
Albert Museum is
Museum but this was not allowed as In fact, the birth of the li- in the USA and Japan. This, in
not a dusty, tired
Albert was not King, so thus it became censing arm of the museum, turn, is leading to further de-
depository of objects
the Victoria and Albert Museum. twenty years ago, came on velopments in those territo-
but an active and
The Victoria and Albert Museum is the the back of a touring exhi- ries on which to build.
thriving institution.”
world’s greatest museum of decora- bition of the work of Wil- V&A Enterprises is now also
Lauren Sizeland,
tive arts and design. The V&A’s collec- liam Morris that toured in using the museum space
Head of Business
tions are unrivalled in their scope and Japan and attracted a great in the form of dedicated
Development and
diversity with over five million objects deal of interest by the rooms set up for licen-
Licensing, V&A
from a variety of the world’s cultures. brand-aware Japanese. The sees to showcase ranges of
Enterprises Limited.
The main body of the collections span potential for licensing and products to retailers within
the 17th to 20th centuries. There are merchandise was real- the museum itself, adding
also hundreds of pieces by living art- ised and the museum further endorsement.
ists and designers and the collections was advised to set up The long-term plan is to
continue to grow. The museum con- a limited company to that extend into new product
sists of 145 galleries and to walk round end. Thus, V&A Enterprises Limited categories and encourage greater
the whole museum is was born. The Japanese program was utilisation of the collections through
seven miles. Although started at that time, twenty years ago new developments with licensees and
an amazing design re- and was run through an agency until retail partners, making the V&A brand
source, the breadth 2001 when V&A decided to work di- even more accessible to a broader
of imagery available rectly with licensees (a move that they group of people.
can be quite daunt- have also made in the US). The international licensing programme
ing. Often licensees V&A will exhibit at Licensing Asia continues the museum’s original mis-
need help to navigate 2007 in Tokyo. Lauren Sizeland visited sion: to influence and inspire design-
the vast collections in the show last year and commented “I ers and manufacturers.
order to enable them feel the only way to get a brand to a It provides unique access to the mu-
to be translated into wider audience is through the show. seum’s treasured collections and en-
commercial and mar- Currently the program only covers dorsement by the prestigious V&A
ketable themes. This is arts and crafts and I feel the brand has trade mark. The resulting profits are
where the V&A licens- been a little pigeon-holed in an area covenanted back to the Museum to
ing team come in, combining commer- that is older than the target audience, help fund its activities.
110
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164