The Source talks to Dan Castle, md of Saban Brands Lifestyle Group, to find out more.
With offices now open in the heart of the US in New York, Saban Brands Lifestyle Group has put a firm marker on the licensing map for its growth intentions on the brand front. The new office also acts as a showroom to showcase its brands to retailers, licensees and buyers in the industry. Due to the global focus of Saban Brands Lifestyle Group, there are also SBLG team members in the LA and Australia offices too.
Under the leadership of md Dan Castle (who previously served as vice president of international and strategic partnerships at Iconix Brand Group) there are ambitious plans afoot for SBLG.
“My focus is to help acquire brands and drive expansion within the company’s diverse portfolio of fashion and lifestyle properties,” he says simply.
Dan explains why SBLG was first set up and announced at the tail end of last year. “It is a result of major expansion within our diverse portfolio of fashion and lifestyle properties,” he says. “The company has seen rapid growth over the past year across these types of brands, so it was a natural progression for us to form this division which aims to actively acquire and grow brands that have a passionate consumer following and global reach.”
“We are interested in brands with a strong heritage, a passionate consumer base and potential to grow and expand both domestically and internationally.”
In April the division announced another key development; the launch of an Advisory Committee for its Lifestyle Group that will be dedicated to providing counsel for the company on its current brands and future acquisitions.
The committee will meet quarterly and will comprise industry executives who will provide insights, guidance and strategic input to SBLG and its growing portfolio. Mona Bijoor was the first member appointed to SBLG’s Advisory Committee. Mona is founder and ceo of Joor, a digital wholesale marketplace that connects apparel brands with more than 100,000 retailers worldwide.
SBLG’s portfolio currently includes Paul Frank, Macbeth, Mambo and Piping Hot.
“We have recently acquired three of the four brands and are working on exciting plans at this very moment which we look forward to announcing soon,” promises Dan.
Paul Frank was Saban’s first lifestyle brand and is a globally recognised, iconic brand that features artistic and entertaining designs inspired by the art of the handcraft, mid century modern design, music and pop culture.
Its most recent acquisition is Australian surf brand Piping Hot and earlier in the year it was announced that Macbeth was to join the SBLG portfolio. With rock music as his muse, Macbeth is a brand of fashion- forward products that were inspired by the music scene and the action sports lifestyle of Southern California that he grew up in.
And rounding off the portfolio to date is Mambo, an Australian fashion and lifestyle brand built on the four pillars of art, surf, music and humour.
With a strong slate already in place, Dan makes no bones about the fact that SBLG is on the acquisition trail.
He comments: “We plan to grow the division through additional acquisitions as well as expanding the brands we currently have on an international scale.”
For Dan these new brands need to have a point of difference from the existing portfolio, while also having significant upside when it comes to growth.
“We are interested in brands with a strong heritage, a passionate consumer base and potential to grow and expand both domestically and internationally. Those are some of the qualities I find most important when assessing if a brand is the right fit for SBLG,” he reveals.
On a personal level Dan loves working in a place where he can work with brands that he is truly passionate about.
“It’s also very invigorating and drives me to search for even more brands that will add to the diverse portfolio of the rapidly growing Lifestyle Group,” he concludes.
