Mattel has inked a new multi-year deal giving ITOCHU Corporation the greenlight to develop a licensing program for Barbie in Japan.
Representing international fashion brands including FILA, Paul Smith and LeSportsac, ITOCHU will create new fashion-related products and set up brand collaborations.
Barbie has been driving significant revenue in recent quarters, with worldwide gross billings up by 86% in Q1, according to Mattel’s financial report for the quarter. And this strength helped the dolls segment overall increase its quarterly gross billings by 69% to US$381 million.
To fuel the growth, Mattel has been expanding its library of Barbie content, recently launching design competition series Barbie Fashion Battle and producing two new specials that will premiere later this year.