Maurizio Distefano Licensing (MDL) has acquired the rights for the licensing programme in Italy for Marie-Antoinette, the brand based on the famous French sovereign, known as an icon of elegance and style

The Marie-Antoinette brand, owned by pan-European company Tempting Brands, which owns some of the world’s most intriguing and enticing brands and licenses, is inspired by various representative elements of the iconic monarch’s life during her time at court. The logo used for the brand is taken from her monogram, which was found as a frieze on the walls of the Palace of Fontainebleau, residence of the French monarchs for generations.

With its flavour of romance and history, the Marie-Antoinette brand is aimed at the sophisticated, strong, independent, elegant and style-conscious woman, using the inspiration of an iconic figure, famous for her lavish clothes and reputation as a queen of style.

In order to help licensees with product development and design, the brand is supported by a comprehensive style guide offering 300 pages of artworks and product concepts. A variety of themes are incorporated into the guide, all inspired by the life of Marie-Antoinette, including the beautiful palace, musical instruments, gardens and flowers.

Created by Tempting Brands’ in-house design team, the style guide offers multiple opportunities for licensees. For example, in the fashion category the Marie-Antoinette brand is available for licensing for cosmetics, toiletry preparations, perfumery, apparel, shoes, accessories or bags. Other key categories, including stationery, home textiles or even home décor, are a great match for the brand.

As a fashion influencer of her time and a strong woman with independent and sometimes avant-garde views, Marie-Antoinette is the perfect figure to inspire today’s women and girl consumers.

Michela Marchese Patti, CEO of MDL, said: “Our agency is constantly evolving to capture new trends and give our licensees new business opportunities with increasingly advanced licensing and a strategic vision. Marie Antoinette enjoys a high level of awareness which, combined with beautiful style guides, allows the creation of splendid high-impact products with a rapid sell-through, for today’s increasingly demanding and style-conscious female target market.”