DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - SEPTEMBER 29: Rihanna gestures on stage during her Fenty Beauty talk in collaboration with Sephora, for the launch of her new Stunna Lip paint "Uninvited" on September 29, 2018 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Ganzon/Getty Images for Fenty Beauty)
Licensing is a popular method used by brands to expand an existing business. Licensing is a legal arrangement whereby a firm gives permission to produce and market merchandise in the name of the licensor for a specific period of time. The licensor is then paid a percentage of sales (usually at the wholesale price) called a royalty fee. A royalty fee is usually somewhere in between 2-15%.
The first designer to license his name to a manufacturer was Christian Dior, in the 1950’s. Many other fashion labels including Ralph Lauren and Betsey Johnson extended their own fashion lines into home decor with the use of licensing agreements. Rihanna’s Fenty brand has launched brand extensions in Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin.
