‘The Batman’ Pop-up and Windows to Swoop Into Saks Fifth Avenue in Gotham City
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Get ready for the “The Batman” blitz.
With the largest collection of authentic “The Batman” film products in over a decade with key partners worldwide, “The Batman” fashion, accessories, beauty products, toys, costumes, and collectibles will begin rolling out later this month.
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The lineup includes Lanvin’s collection dedicated to Batman and his nemesis Catwoman. First shown during Paris Fashion Week last October, the Lanvin collection will be available online and in select Saks Fifth Avenue stores starting March 2 and on saks.com on March 15, in time for the film’s release on March 4 in North America and internationally, beginning March 2. It will later stream on HBO Max.
“‘The Batman'” is one of the most anticipated films of the year, and we’re excited to give our customers the opportunity to experience the film on-screen through this limited-edition collection available exclusively at Saks,” said Tracy Margolies, the retailer’s chief merchandising officer. “We saw so much buzz surrounding Lanvin’s collaboration with ‘Batman’ at Paris Fashion week last fall, and we anticipate that the entire collection will be equally as well-received by our men’s, women’s and kids customers when it launches at Saks this March.”
Saks picked up 10 Batman-inspired men’s items from Lanvin’s spring 2022 collection, including Ts, hoodies, button-downs and denim.
courtesy of Lanvin.
Saks Fifth Avenue will also host a pop-up shop showcasing “The Batman”-inspired apparel from EleVen by Venus Williams, Maison Labiche, Lanvin, as well as accessories, beauty products, toys and collectibles. The retailer’s flagship will design window displays inspired by Matt Reeves’ version of Gotham City.
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“The Batman” pop-up will be at Saks from March 15 through March 29, and New York is the only store with a dedicated one. All merchandise from the collection will be sold at New York and on saks.com only, with the exception of Lanvin, which will be available at the stores in Atlanta and Houston as well.
The New York windows will be live from March 1 through March 15.
“The Batman,” directed by Reeves, who wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig, stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, along with Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman/Selina Kyle.
Addressing the overall merchandising program for “The Batman,” Pam Lifford, president, WarnerMedia Global Brands and Experiences, said, “Strategically, we focused on truly capturing the look, feel and essence of the new film in every collection, while delivering something for every fan. Our goal was to create a merch program that feels authentically Batman yet offered something new to audiences that have been fans of Batman for more than 80 years. I’m proud to say, I feel we achieved it.”
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Describing how they decided which companies to approach, Lifford said when fans think about Batman, words like iconic, mysterious and strength come to mind. “We’ve collaborated with partners that understand Batman’s qualities and could integrate them into a collection in a unique and authentic way,” she said.
For example, Lifford said they chose Lanvin because “it is one of the most revered fashion houses in the world, and we were excited to collaborate with them on a collection that celebrated the classic looks of Batman and Catwoman from a completely new perspective.
courtesy of Lanvin
“Their creative director, Bruno Sialelli, is a big comic book fan and has successfully kept comics as key themes throughout his collections. The spring/summer ’22 collection was partly inspired by the comic book art and the rich history of the Batman franchise. Only select pieces have been revealed so far, but once fans see the entire collection, they will be drawn to the incredible character visuals that have been reimagined in the spirit of Jeanne Lanvin’s design,” she added.
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In addition to Lanvin, fashion collections will be offered from Maison Labiche and EleVen by Venus Williams, as well as partners like Carhartt, which will offer coats, T-shirts, hoodies and pants, and TomboyX, which is making T-shirts and underwear. There will also be footwear, accessories and beauty products from partners such as Puma, Fossil, House of Sillage and Emilie Heathe.
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EleVen’s designs, for example, include exposed zipper detailing, lace-up eyelets, studded styles, mesh shirring and classic wet-look prints in black and white. That collection will be available on EleVenbyVenusWilliams.com, at Saks Fifth Avenue, and Tennis Warehouse, and internationally at Zalando.com.
courtesy of Lanvin
In footwear, Run Gotham in the new Puma x Batman collection was created to make a statement with moody colors and graphics inspired by the Caped Crusader. Other accessory firms that have gotten in on the action are Boxlunch, Fast Track Accessory Innovation, Funko, Only Bands, Pull & Bear, Global Junk Brands, Mobyfox and Zara. Fossil will drop The Batman x Fossil capsule collection, including collectible watches, jewelry and leather goods. Launching Feb. 28, the collection features limited-edition designs inspired by The Riddler and Batman’s signature Batsuit in the new film.
Saks will offer accessories from luxury brands like Kross Studio with high-end timepieces coined “The Batman” Tourbillon, a genuine leather watch case and Bat Signal watch winder. In Brazil, accessories from Maxlog will offer backpacks, pencil cases and lunch boxes, while in the the Asia Pacific region, Uncle Jack Watches and Tendence Japan will release “The Batman”-inspired wristwatches.
Lifford noted that key lifestyle categories such as fashion, footwear, accessories and beauty will be broad and tiered for different fans at different price points. They will also have collectibles by Funko, McFarlane, Lego, and Hot Wheels.
Merchandise will arrive this month at retailers globally, and new collections will be revealed through March. “The Batman” exclusives will be available on WarnerMedia’s DC Shop beginning Jan. 24. “The Batman” merchandise will be available at Walmart, Target and a variety of department and specialty stores.
Items range from $10 to $10,000.
Lifford said Saks was chosen as their partner for several reasons. “We’re just coming off a hugely successful shop with Saks for Harry Potter’s 20th anniversary. We know that Saks’ expertise, their in-store experience and window displays can bring to life a franchise and film-inspired merchandising collection in a special way, and offer an immense shopping experience,” she said.
Overall, the offerings include both adult and kids apparel, in addition to a new genderless fragrance by the House of Sillage, and a beauty collection from Emilie Heathe which will introduce three new nail polish colors, named “the Dark Night,” “Vengeance,” and “Madness.”
“For this movie collection, we looked to subtle ways to extend the storytelling of the film to merch. For example, fans will see in ‘The Batman’ fashions we’ve integrated mixed materials like leather to nod back to Batman’s suit or Lurex threading and exploded zippers to give a hint of Batman’s vehicles and the grittiness of Gotham City,” Lifford said.
courtesy of Lanvin
For Catwoman, the aesthetic is “sleek and subtle — similar to the character in the film,” she said. “In ‘The Batman,’ Catwoman is still Selina Kyle so we wanted to hint at this with colors, editorial and cat-ear details where it made sense,” said Lifford.
When asked how much volume she anticipates the merchandise to generate, Lifford declined to give an estimate. “We believe ‘The Batman’ will be one of the biggest films of the year and it will be complemented by an incredible merchandise program that’s sure to be a hit with fans.”
Lifford believes the combination of a theatrical run and HBO Max will have a positive impact on merchandise sales.
“It’s really the best of both worlds…We can engage and entertain fans however they wish to see it, and that’s what makes our approach so successful. The goal is always to create a fully integrated campaign that engages Batman fans wherever they are and support and build excitement for the film opening. Fans who love Batman will want to experience the new film and be immersed in Batman across platforms and channels, including merchandise, games, theme parks and more. We want to touch every fan in every way…everywhere,” said Lifford.
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