Disney Merch Goes Quiet Luxury - and D23 Exclusives Go Wide (Ep. 115)

Disney merchandise is changing fast, and this week Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey dig into the trends coming out of D23, from bag charms and high-end collectibles to the rise of "quiet luxury" fandom. They also look at the frustration surrounding supposedly special D23 merchandise appearing on DisneyStore.com almost immediately after the event. Then the conversation shifts to World Princess Week, where Disney is pushing its princess brands into fitness, jewelry, fashion, and other lifestyle categories aimed squarely at grown-up fans.

NEWS

• Disney's next limited-time pop-up store heads to Paramus, New Jersey, following the crowds and long lines seen in Pittsburgh.

• Licensing industry observers see Disney moving beyond character T-shirts toward bag charms, premium collectibles, home decor, publishing, and understated "quiet luxury" merchandise.

• Limited-edition D23 collectibles continue to command huge demand - and eye-popping prices on the secondary market.

• Fans question the value of D23 merchandise access after many convention items appeared on DisneyStore.com just one day after the event.

• Disney continues expanding major brand collaborations, with new collections tied to Vera Bradley, Loungefly, Crocs, ColourPop, Pandora, and more.

• World Princess Week's "Create Your World" campaign pushes Disney Princess into lifestyle categories built around confidence, personal interests, and self-expression.

• Disney partners with Peloton on a princess-inspired Pilates class while Crowned Athletics brings princess branding into fitness apparel.

• Pandora expands the franchise into higher-end jewelry with a Disney Princess lab-grown diamond collection featuring Tiana, Jasmine, Moana, and Snow White.

• Jim and Lauren look ahead to how projects including live-action Tangled and Frozen 3 could fuel the next wave of Disney Princess merchandise.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com
• Lauren Hersey - X/Twitter: @laurenhersey2 | Instagram: @lauren_hersey_

FOLLOW

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SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

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