• by Les Luchter , 6 hours ago

Having reported on the literary combo of fantasy and romance fiction last week, this reporter seems to have been thrust suddenly upon the romantasy beat.

I’ve now learned that “A Court of Thorns and Roses” (ACOTAR, in brief), a book series by Sarah J. Maas, is sort of the “Star Trek” of this genre.

As such, the 11-year-old franchise has been striking licensing deals with numerous brands, spanning such categories as toys (e.g., Funko), stationery (e.g.,Con*Quest) --- and especially clothing, via such brands as BlackMilk, Samii Ryan, Her Universe and Snag Tights.

And soon, women will be able to display ACOTAR-inspired scenes and characters on Knix leakproof underwear, as well as on the latter brand’s first entries into corsetry, lingerie and eveningwear.

Knix CMO Cyntia Leo, who came on board this spring after stints at Urban Outfitters and Nike, tells Marketing Daily that consumer response to these new silhouettes in the limited-edition Knix x ACOTAR collection will help the company decide on “future opportunities in these categories.”

The line will be introduced Oct. 15, a couple of weeks before the release of the sixth ACOTAR book, and Knix says to also expect a “second chapter” timed to the launch of book seven in January.

Leo notes a strong synergy between ACOTAR fans, Knix customers and even Knix employees.

The relationship starts at the top.  Knix President Nicole Tapscott stated  in a press release that, “As a longtime ACOTAR reader and proud member of its fandom, I understand how deeply fans care about this world and every detail within it.

“We set out to create a collection that honors Sarah J. Maas’s storytelling while remaining unmistakably Knix in its design, innovation and purpose,” Tapscott explains. 

As for the customers, says Leo, when asked “which franchise they most wanted Knix to collaborate with, ACOTAR was the number one choice.”

Leo says that Knix’s “internal fandom” -- more than 40 employees across design, marketing and leadership teams and “spanning different ages, roles and life stages” -- “helped shape the collection from the beginning. Every detail sparked passionate discussion, from the Easter eggs tucked throughout the Court prints to the iconic character references translated into the designs.”

Knix x Acotar also includes men’s items, a category Knix entered last year with a line of underwear, T-shirts, long-sleeve tops, and socks.

Leo stresses that the collection “was inspired by ACOTAR’s female protagonists and the opportunity to translate their strength, confidence, individuality and stories into Knix,” but notes that the book series “also has a passionate male readership, and its male characters play an important role in the relationships and storylines that define the series.”

The Knix X ACOTAR collection will be available through the Knix website starting Oct. 15, with a link to join a waiting list going live on Oct. 5.

The collection will be supported with a New York City pop-up event on the launch date, featuring 30 creators from TikTok’s Booktok sub-community.