The Walt Disney Company has a rich legacy of stories and characters that fans of all ages can enjoy. Disney Consumer Products (DCP) harnesses that legacy to deliver collaborations with dynamic, modern brands that are making an impact on the consumer landscape and leading the charge within fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.
“Only Disney can create collaborations that connect with audiences worldwide, showcasing the power of our brand, characters, and storytelling,” Tasia Filippatos, president of DCP, explained. “These inspire artists globally and lead to innovative partnerships that offer something unexpected for Disney fans, as well as reaching new audiences and touching hearts everywhere.”
Here’s how Disney is leveraging its world-class intellectual property to create innovative and high impact collections with fashion brands such as Pleasing, Coperni, Gap, and others.
Culture-Driving Collaborations
The Disney x Coperni Spring Summer ’25 collection was unveiled in spectacular style at Disneyland Paris on Tuesday night, with a runway fashion show at Sleeping Beauty Castle that closed out Paris Fashion Week.
The French fashion house, known for its innovative, techno-chic designs, revealed an apparel and accessory collection inspired by Disney Princesses, Disney Villains, and Mickey Mouse, that was live-streamed for audiences around the world. The collection will debut at retailers globally this spring.
Coperni co-founders Arnaud Vaillant (CEO) and Creative Director Sébastien Meyer shared, “We grew up with Disney as an important part of our childhood. For many French children, particularly those from the provinces, the first family visit to the big city Paris meant a trip to Disneyland. Disney’s fairytales and characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Cinderella, and Maleficent were our guides through the complex landscape of human emotions — friendship, love, fear, courage, transformation.”
Disney also launched its first collaboration with Harry Styles’ Pleasing brand, in celebration of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ animated classic Fantasia.
The products, which were inspired by the original art and music of the film, span apparel, accessories, and beauty. Pleasing’s designers were given access to Disney Animation archives to fuel the imagination and collaboration.
To mark the launch, an original animation merging product, characters, and music was created, along with pop-up retail experiences at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World and Houston Galleria, plus events at Disney Stores in London and New York. The collection is available on Pleasing.com, DisneyStore.com, and DisneyStore.co.uk starting October 4.
These two high-profile launches follow the stunning summer reveal of Disney and Balmain’s collaboration celebrating 30 years of The Lion King, and the upcoming theatrical release of Mufasa: The Lion King. This extensive collection for men and women was designed by Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing, who found the project especially personal as he was deeply moved by The Lion King as a child.
“Working on this collaboration was a dream come true,” Rousteing shared. “I was only 9 years old when The Lion King was first released, but still today, almost three decades later, I only need to close my eyes to replay that incredible mix of music, images, and emotions. The lessons that I absorbed, as I sat, absolutely transfixed by what was happening on the giant screen in front of me, have remained with me for my entire life.”
Campaigns as Creative as the Products
Each collaboration is brought to market with campaigns that uniquely match the creativity and artistry of the product lines. The beauty of the Disney x Balmain: The Lion King collection was captured through a short film shot in the stunning landscapes of South Africa by director Femi Oladigbolu.
The stunning fashion range was given its first public outing at a Lion King in concert event at London’s Royal Albert Hall, where ABC captured a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the collection and short film for an upcoming On the Red Carpet Storytellers Spotlight.
When fashion brand Kith marked Marvel’s 85th anniversary with its extensive Super Villains collection of apparel, accessories, footwear, and collectibles, it also created a featuring Kith founder Ronnie Fieg that was hugely popular with fans. The range reimagined iconic Marvel villains through the Kith lens and drove unprecedented demand.
Disney is also expanding its partnership with Gap, moving into new, limited-edition collaborations that elevate classic Gap products with fashion-forward designs featuring Disney characters.
The first release is a Mickey & Friends collegiate collection inspired by ’90s style. To create buzz and reach young consumers, Disney brought Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse — as well as the complete range — to the University of Alabama vs. University of Georgia game that aired September 28 on ABC.
To kick off the ESPN College GameDay collaboration, DCP put together a “Get Ready with Mickey & Friends” immersive creator pop-up that featured the Gap x Disney collection, glamour sessions with professional makeup artists, and accessorizing with custom Stoney Clover Lane, Kendra Scott, and Little Words Project pieces.
This first activation of its kind built hype for the big game, resulted in extensive social and broadcast coverage, and delivered Disney Parks’ No. 1 story and content engagement of the week.